


Stags, Stella, Tequila (Wise Men Say)

by justlikeswitchblades



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-04-02 05:33:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4048093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlikeswitchblades/pseuds/justlikeswitchblades
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Kasamatsu Yukio's best friend, Kise Ryouta was determined to be the best best man he could be, and he knew that his bachelor party couldn't be anything other than perfect. </p><p>Getting a little too drunk and losing his wallet might have ruined his night, but the handsome bartender who ends up returning it to him the next morning makes Kise thankful for those few reckless hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Kise took at least a little pride in the fact that he was the best friend Kasamatsu Yukio could ever ask for. 

He took a _lot_ of pride in that fact, to be honest—he often thought to himself that Kasamatsu would be a nobody if it weren’t for him, though he admittedly tried to frame such thoughts in the nicest way possible. Thanks to his exceptional basketball talent, Kasamatsu was able to lead their high school basketball team to the national championships, and, thanks to his extraordinary skills as a wingman, he was able to secure Kasamatsu his first and only girlfriend, now his fiancé. He supposed that Kasamatsu wasn’t _totally_ useless as he navigated through his life—he just needed a little help along the way, something that Kise was more than happy to provide. 

In order to continue with his previous track record of successes, it was only natural that Kise had to be the best best man he could be. There were a fair amount of responsibilities that came with the position, but most importantly was that of planning Kasamatsu’s bachelor party, which would consist of two parts. One weekend would involve camping and hiking in the mountains—Kasamatsu’s passion for fitness managed to extend beyond high school and university as a hobby he actually enjoyed—meanwhile, Kise’s vanity was the sole reason he continued to go to the gym. The weekend afterward would be more stereotypical, consisting of a bar crawl throughout town until they couldn’t walk anymore, but Kise was convinced it wouldn’t be anything other than perfect.

The hike was a little cold, and tiring, too, but it was obvious that Kasamatsu loved it, so Kise sucked up his complaints, for his sake. The stripper in the cake went off even better than he expected, too—he certainly wanted to classify Kasamatsu blushing firetruck red and rendered unable to speak as better than the possibility of him throwing punches, at the very least.

The bar crawl had started off at a chic establishment of Kise’s choice, all clean lines and blue lights and inventive martinis, but a little too muted for the tastes of the straight men in the group. They made their way to a dark club populated largely by those in their early and mid-twenties, bass thrumming, and a literal bottle on ice and a questionable amount of tequila shots later, their drunkenness had finally reached a more than satisfactory level.

At some point during the night, they had made their way into a sports bar, catching the last period of a hockey game, a sport none of them were particularly interested in, but were drunk enough to get riled up about nonetheless. Kise’s memories from then on were blurry, incoherent shouts and yells falling upon half-listening ears, remembering only the feeling that standing was a _very bad_ idea, and possessing a vague sensation that he might have interrupted the bar band sometime during the night. But, after all, who lets a bar band play when a game is on at the same time? As far as Kise was concerned, they probably deserved it.

He wasn’t quite sure how he got back to his apartment, and he didn’t dwell on the thought, instead spending his remaining energy hugging the toilet for an hour or so until he was able to collapse into bed without fear of staining his linens any further. Sleep came upon him quickly, and he was hesitant to wake up later, cringing both at the time listed by the numbers on his clock and the headache pounding in his skull. His fingers fumbled with his phone on the nightstand as he sunk his head back into his pillow, thankful that Siri understood his muffled words as he instructed her to call his friends, confirming that they had all somehow managed to survive the night in one piece. 

“Honestly, Kise, I can’t _believe_ you don’t remember what happened last night.” Kise whined in response to Kasamatsu’s words, holding the phone an inch or two away from his ear.

“ _Volume_ , Kasamatsucchi. And I can’t believe you _remember_ what did! What kind of guy doesn’t get shitfaced during his bachelor party? You’re in your last days of freedom, Kasamatsucchi—I want you to enjoy them.” There was a pause, and Kise could practically hear Kasamatsu roll his eyes as he let out a faint groan on the other end of the line.

“The kind who wants to try to have some decent memories of what happened, apparently,” Kasamatsu grumbled, his voice just a hint more hushed than before. “And you’re just single and bitter about it, Kise. I’m free right now, and I will continue to be so even after I get married, and that’s just a reality you’re just going to have to deal with, okay?” 

“Yeah, yeah. I just want you to have _fun_ , you know.” The sarcasm was evident in Kise’s voice now, and he was almost certain that it warranted another eyeroll from Kasamatsu.

“Whatever. But I guess everything that happened wasn’t all that bad. You got up onstage, stole the mic, said something about me getting married—honestly, I wasn’t listening too much, I was trying to resist the urge to punch you—not much else. Oh, and you threw up a little on yourself, too.”

“Oh my god. Kill me now.”

“I called some cabs to take us home after that, so there’s nothing else to be embarrassed about, if that helps.”

“Oh god, I am the _worst_. Making my best friend call me a taxi on the night of his bachelor party? Fuck, Kasamatsucchi, I’m so sorry.”

“Eh, Moriyama and Kobori and Nakamura were pretty far gone, too, so it’s not like you’re shouldering all the blame. Either way, you all probably feel like shit, and I feel fine, so I have that as consolation, at the very least.”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Kise pushed his bangs back, exhaling out a sigh as he watched the numbers on the clock creep steadily towards three. “Well, I better get up and do something vaguely productive before the day is over. Talk to you later, Kasamatsucchi.”

“Before you hang up, Kise—promise me you won’t beat yourself up over last night, okay? Yeah, you could’ve paced yourself better, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t have a fun time. Besides, we still have a month before the wedding, so it’s not like I’m scrambling to do damage control or anything. It’ll be okay.” A grin tugged at the corner of Kise’s mouth, and he could do little to resist it—he may have had to help Kasamatsu act at times, but when it came to words, Kasamatsu always knew the right things to say.

“Thanks, Kasamatsucchi.”

Kise ended the call with a small huff of a breath, sat up in bed, and cast a grimace at the wrinkled shirt on his floor, hoping his cleaner would be able to work some kind of magic on the stains that were visible. He eased himself out of bed carefully, the pain of his headache dulled a notch or two from a few minutes earlier, and slunk off into the bedroom to freshen up.

***

The rumblings in his stomach and post-shower investigation of his fridge strongly suggested the need to go grocery shopping—not something that he wanted to do hungover, but something he had to do nonetheless. Drunk Kise had been enough of a saint to put his keys in their usual spot, thank goodness, but the location of his wallet remained a mystery, and after a sweep of his apartment, then another, Kise couldn’t help but feel the urge to vomit slowly rise up in him again, mostly terrified at the prospect of having his credit cards stolen. A cringeworthy look through last night’s selfies for signage and a few texts with Kasamatsu revealed the name of the sports bar—he swore he remembered having his wallet with him when they first entered the place. Moments later, he was in his car, typing the address of Garcia’s Bar and Grill into his phone’s navigation system.

Kise’s stomach did a small flip when he spotted the five o’clock opening time that was lettered on the door, but he tried the handle anyways, and let himself in when he discovered it unlocked. It was a smaller place located just a little north of downtown, sitting cozily on the corner of the main drag, and was a little dim on the inside, but the afternoon sunlight peeking through the windows illuminated the bar decently enough. A row of booths lined the walls, with a number of tables in the middle of the room, chairs still placed atop them with their legs in the air. The walls were plastered with pictures of athletes, ranging from modge-podged collages of newspaper clippings, to autographed prints that were fancily framed. They were mostly basketball players, and many of them seemed to be American, but Kise decided not to press his luck, and leaned against the bar instead of investigating further, resting his chin in his hand and absentmindedly chewing his lip as his gaze drifted up to the Saturday afternoon golf game that was playing on one of the flatscreen TVs above.

A whistle brought him out of his brief reverie, and his gaze shifted over to the kitchen doors, from which a redheaded man had emerged, spinning along with the final notes of a song that had eked out just before the doors closed. Kise let out a soft hum of a laugh before he could stop himself, and the man’s head snapped up in the near quiet of the empty restaurant, whistle petering out, staring wide-eyed at Kise for a moment before he recovered with a self-conscious grin, stepping behind the bar as he slung a towel over his shoulder. Kise saw from across the room that the man’s eyebrows should have been tweezed _years_ ago, but he somehow made the brows work, reddish brown eyes dark and warm underneath them. The black cotton of his t-shirt was a little loose against his skin, but his pectorals still found a curve of definition in the fabric, the restaurant logo fitting carefully against the right side of his chest. A tattoo of a roaring tiger decorated the length of his forearm, painted as if it belonged on a wall scroll, accompanied by a few other tattoos that snuck up into the sleeves of his shirt, and, for a brief moment, Kise was tempted to let out a whistle of his own.

“You don’t happen to be the writer from the _Times_ I was exchanging emails with, do you? ‘Cause I thought you said you’d be coming in next week, but if you want to talk today, I guess that’s cool, too.” 

Kise offered a semi-apologetic smile in response to the bartender’s quizzical look, and he stood up a little straighter, idly tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear.

“That’s not me, sorry. I hope you don’t mind that I let myself in, but I, um, think I left my wallet here last night, and I just wanted to see if anyone had been kind enough to return it, or…?”

“Oh! Someone did find a wallet in one of the booths when they were cleaning up earlier…” 

The man’s words trailed off as he turned away from Kise and walked back through the kitchen doors again, leaving him with a few minutes to wonder if he should have told his bank to freeze his card before he began his search. But the redhead was back soon enough, leather wallet held aloft triumphantly in one hand, and carrying a tumbler in the other. He stepped behind the counter and flicked the wallet open, brow furrowing as he inspected the license inside.

“Your name is…?”

“Kise Ryouta.” The bartender glanced up at him and gave him a nod.

“Checks out okay—I’ll take your word for it.” He tossed the wallet onto the countertop and Kise accepted it graciously, confirming the presence his insurance, credit, and other odd gift cards with a sigh of relief.

“Oh my god, thank you so much,” gushed Kise, paying only mild attention to the bartender as he deposited a number of ice cubes into a plastic cup, shaking the tumbler at the same time. 

“Hey, it’s no problem, people leave stuff here all the time,” offered the bartender with a shrug of his shoulders, back turned to Kise as he poured the tumbler into the cup. He slapped a lid on the cup, poked a straw through the opening, and turned back around, placing the Bloody Mary on a coaster in front of Kise. “You can thank me by drinking this.”

Kise regarded the drink with a wary eye as he sat down at the bar, and the bartender let out a laugh, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the counter.

“It won’t hurt you, trust me. I saw you up on that stage last night—you’re gonna need some kind of alcohol to help combat that hangover.”

“Oh god, I was such a fucking _wreck_ last night, I don’t even want to talk about it,” groaned Kise as he covered his face with his hand and sucked on the straw, perking up a little as the tomato juice and the faint taste of Tabasco hit his lips. “Wow, this is good.”

“Aw, it wasn’t that bad. I mean, it’s not like you heckled the band, and you kept most of the mess to yourself, so it’s not like anyone’s holding any particular grudge against you for it. Besides, I think I remember you saying something about your friend getting married, right? Compared to the World Cup, and the American expats who come here for the Super Bowl and stuff like that, bachelor parties tend to end up being seen as pretty low-key.”

“Still—god, this is _good_ —let me make it up to you somehow. I do PR for a living, so I’m kind of morally obligated to at least try to apologize.” The man cracked a grin in response, shaking his head at Kise’s words.

“Dude, honestly, it’s no big deal. It’s not like you broke anything, so trust me, you’re good.”

“For the Bloody Mary, then—”

“It’s on the house.”

“Let me take you out sometime, at the very least.”

“Like, on a date?” The bartender pursed his lips in consideration, then shrugged, offering Kise a small smile. “Sure, why not.” Kise, who was in the midst of sipping from his drink, coughed as he nearly inhaled the liquid in surprise.

“Wow, fuck, I was not expecting that to work. Shit.” He blinked hard, and the bartender bit back a laugh, hiding his grin behind his hand. “I guess not a lot of people try that out on you, huh?”

“No, not really. We tend to lend ourselves better to rowdiness than romance around here. That, and it’s sometimes hard to find my type in a place like this.”

“Oh? Does that mean I’m your type, then?”

“Well, it’s not too often that you see people wearing eyeliner or Chanel sunglasses in here, let alone guys, so I’ll give you that. But the sports community tends to keep its homophobia pretty well fed.” The bartender shrugged, wiping his hands on the towel before setting it down on the counter. “Of course you can get some guys drunk enough and they’ll be willing to experiment, but they’re never quite gay enough to create something that lasts.” 

“Would my being bi qualify as gay enough?”

“Well, you’re the one who’s asking me out, after all.” The bartender lowered his eyelids and lifted a hand, letting his fingers brush against the outside of Kise’s wrist as he flashed a knowing smile. “I think you’ve answered your own question by doing that, wouldn’t you agree?”

A curl of a smile flitted at the corner of Kise’s lip, and he held the bartender’s gaze, an echo of the warmth of his fingers still lingering on his skin. Breathing out a soft laugh, he pulled back just a little, but quickly returned his gaze again.

“I suppose you’re right. When are you free?”

“I usually don’t work weekends—someone just needed me to cover their shift today—so, sometime next weekend, maybe? If you’re not suffering from another hangover, that is.”

“Trust me, I don’t think I’ll be drinking heavily for a while after what happened last night. How about next Saturday—lunch at noon?”

“Works for me.”

“Fantastic. I guess it’d be helpful if you gave me your number, then,” mused Kise as he drew his phone out of his pocket with another faint laugh, “And probably your name, too.”

“Yeah, maybe, “ answered the bartender as he took the phone from Kise and plugged his information into the device, handing it back when he finished. “Shoot me a text so I can get yours, when you have the chance.”

“Will do,” began Kise, eyes flicking over the characters shown on his screen, “…Kagami Taiga.” He glanced at his watch, and pursed his lips as he looked at the time.

“Well, I better get going so I don’t interrupt you any further,” he explained as he stood up a little reluctantly from the stool, and gave the cup a small shake, still halfway filled with the drink. “Can I take this to go?”

“It’s in a plastic cup for a reason, isn’t it?” Kagami cocked an eyebrow at him. “See you next weekend, Kise.”

Kise’s gaze had drifted back up to the TV, and he was silent for a moment as he watched a golfer sink a putt into the hole, then looked back, returning Kagami’s grin with a dazzling one of his own.

“Yeah, Kagamicchi,” winked Kise just before he turned to head out the door, “See you then.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise was well aware that a fair amount of the population didn't even kiss on the first date. But he was also well aware that most of the population didn't have the chance to date Kagami Taiga.
> 
> Who was kind.
> 
> And fun.
> 
> And really fucking attractive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> explicit rating already? no problem (or so i hope, lolol--thanks all for your support so far, and i hope you enjoy this chapter!! \o/)

The café they agreed to meet up at wasn’t too far from Kise’s apartment—he had learned that Kagami, despite living north of the more crowded parts of Tokyo, had a fondness for a number of places downtown—and so he, wanting to save both some gas and transit money, decided to walk the distance there, which he thought was a good idea, considering they were finally having some decent weather. Finding out that the café was nearly half a kilometer further away than he anticipated put a little bit of a damper on his mood. His ankles had begun to whine in his suede boots, armpits dampening the thin white fabric of his shirt, not only from the sun shining above, but also a little from the hint of nervousness he had managed to work up on the walk over. He would have nearly missed Kagami, too, if not for the man jumping up when he walked by.

“Kise!”

Kise blinked, almost jolting back as the man grabbed his arm, and stared at him, a crease forming in his brow for a second until his face lit up with recognition. The past weekend, as well as a series of Snapchats exchanged throughout the past week, had shown Kagami with hair almost a refined kind of messy, tousled with soft tufts of hair sticking up. Today, clad in a plaid flannel, blue jeans, and sneakers, his bangs had been hairsprayed off his forehead into a wispy spike, and although it didn’t look bad on him, Kise had a brief thought that he would’ve preferred some familiarity. 

He supposed he was grateful that the eyebrows didn’t change, in that sense.

“Oh, god, Kagamicchi, I’m so sorry,” he explained, hand resting on his chest, looking frazzled, “I totally thought I had left on time, but apparently I did not. I sent you a text saying you could go ahead and order something—did you? I hope I didn’t make you wait too long…”

“Hey, it’s no big deal. This place is kinda tucked away, so I imagine it isn’t too hard to get lost or something,” said Kagami as he dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand, and the other one dropped away from his wrist to pull out a chair for him, wrought iron scraping against the concrete. “You made me wait, what, ten, fifteen minutes? That’s not too bad.” Kise opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but settled on murmuring a thank you instead, lip curling up shyly as he sat down, similar to Kagami’s warm smile as he dropped into the chair opposite him. A waitress placed a glass of ice water in front of Kise, and he nodded his thanks.

“So, Kagamicchi,” began Kise, pausing to take an eager gulp of water, “How was your week?” Kagami, who had just taken a drink of water himself, shrugged as he swallowed it down.

“Eh, the bar was a little rowdy, but that’s nothing extraordinary. Other than that, I ate, slept, went to the gym…” He ran a hand through his hair with a small laugh, unintentionally fluffing up the spike in front. “Honestly, my life’s not that exciting.”

“I don’t know, “ shrugged Kise, “Sounds pretty relaxing to me.”

“Yeah? You said you worked in PR, right? Does it get pretty busy?” Kise groaned, and Kagami’s smile was sympathetic as he watched the man sink his face into his hand in a dramatic fashion. 

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.”

“No, it’s fine,” managed Kise, lifting his head again with a small smile. “I work as a part of a modeling agency, and they’ve been giving me more administrative work lately, and we’re going to be sending some people overseas for an event in a few months, and I have responsibilities, and it’s stressful.” He exhaled a sharp breath, and glanced down as he flipped open the menu. “Though I’m still alive, I suppose.”

“Hey, it’s something.” Kagami stretched out, his foot grazing Kise’s ankle under the table. “I, uh, hope this doesn’t come off as weird or anything, but you kinda look like you could be a model yourself.”

“Oh, yeah, I did my time there,” remarked Kise with more than a little sarcasm, “Apparently I was so anal that they thought I’d be better off managing other people’s shit, and I thought I was going to college to do something with aviation, but, trust me, even though this blond is bleached in, I am still waaaaay not smart enough for that. So, I got a business degree, and that brings me to today.” Kise blinked as he took another drink of water. “Though you probably just complimented me on my looks and I totally missed it, huh?” Kagami snorted, and Kise decided that answer would suffice.

“So, that’s what my work life is like, in a nutshell,” said Kise, resuming their conversation after the waitress stopped by to take their orders, “But I’ll admit that I’m still a little curious about yours. Is bartending just an in-between kind of thing, or…?”

“Well, it was supposed to be. I had worked all kinds of part time jobs out of high school, till I had finally saved up enough to start working on my fire science degree. I took up bartending on the weekends, and then my friend got this idea of owning her own restaurant, and I just got…caught up in it, I guess, and I ended up being a co-owner alongside her and my brother. Four years later, we’re still in business.” He paused, taking a sip of water. “I guess I mostly just bartend for fun now, but hey, I can’t say I’m complaining.” 

“Wow, Kagamicchi, that’s great.” Kise’s grin flashed with ease. “And,, wow, a firefighter? That’s so cool! I don’t mean to pry, but do you think you’d ever want to try to become one again?” Kagami’s hand rose to scratch the back of his head, his features scrunching up as he hummed in thought.

“Mmm…maybe not. I mean, obviously it’s a respectable profession, but I enjoy working at the bar, and I’m already 26—if I start training for it again, how much longer am I going to be useful to them when I finally get there, y’know?” Kise nodded, understanding. 

“Still, I admire your dedication. It sure looks like you still go to the gym, so I was wondering if you were training for that possibility, or not.”

“Hah, not really. I played basketball from when I was a kid until the end of high school, and I ended up picking up weightlifting along the way, and I guess I just haven’t been able to stop since then.”

“No way!” Kise nearly jumped out of his chair in excitement at first, then settled down, smoothing his hair back with a airy laugh. “Sorry. I only picked up basketball in middle school, but ended up playing all the way through university. Did you go to high school here in Tokyo? I went to a school in Kanagawa, but it’s possible we could’ve played each other at least once…”

“Probably not,” offered Kagami with an apologetic smile. “I was born here, but moved to America when I was eight or nine, and I didn’t move back until I was eighteen.” Kise expression wilted for a moment, but he recovered quickly.

“Oh, that’s fine,” he said with a laugh, “I haven’t been able to play with anyone in forever, so I guess I got a little excited. Ten years in the States, though? That’s wild. Your Japanese is really impressive, you know.”

“Pssh, don’t be impressed—my dad still made me use it at home, and I actually made some friends who were Japanese, too, so it’s not like I was clueless when I first moved back. But hey, no worries about the basketball thing—I’ve been able to pick up a few street games, but not much else, so I know how you feel. Though, this date seems to be going pretty well, so if you’d be up for a one-on-one sometime…” His eyebrows were raised with the optimism of the suggestion, but it was almost unneeded, as Kise had started grinning way before he had even finished his sentence.

“Kagamicchi, I would _love_ to.”

***

“Oh my god, I am so stuffed. I cannot _believe_ you ate that entire burger, Kagamicchi.” Kagami shrugged in response, laughing through his teeth as he picked up the receipt.

“I’unno. I can put a lot away, I guess.” Kise let out a breath and placed his chin in his hand, idly prodding one of the peppermints their waitress had deposited on their table with a finger until he sat upright a few seconds later.

“Hey, I’m the one who asked you out in the first place, you know! I should be covering the check, not you!” He reached across the table for the check, but Kagami held it out of his reach with a grin.

“Your wallet already went through all that stress being separated from you last weekend—it deserves a break, don’t you think?”

“But Kagamicchi…” Kagami paused, tapping the vinyl folder against his chin in thought.

“Maybe I’ll let you pay the tip…if you can answer something for me, that is.”

“Of course! Ask me anything!”

“Why the –cchi?” 

Kise blinked, then laughed softly, tugging self-consciously at the sprig of a ponytail he had tied his hair into.

“Oh, that? I just use it for people I admire, that’s all.” The corner of Kagami’s lip curled upward with a smile.

“That’s cute…but I still won’t let you pay.” Kagami grinned as he handed the check back to the waitress, his credit card enclosed. Kise began to protest, but then sighed, popping the mint into his mouth and pouting as he reluctantly admitted defeat.

“It was barely two thousand yen, Kise—I wanted to pick it up. Next time it’ll be yours, okay?”

“I don’t know, Kagamicchi,” grumbled Kise, increasingly struggling to fight off a smile. “You not letting me pay might’ve made a bad impression.”

“Oh?” Kagami inquired, raising his eyebrows. “Damn. That’d be a shame.”

“Mmhm,” nodded Kise, standing up from the table with a stretch as the waitress placed the folder back down. He watched Kagami slide his credit card back into his wallet, then cast a grimace at the sidewalk stretching down the block. “Something I’ll have to mull over on my journey home, I suppose.” Kagami failed to bite back a grin, and slid his wallet into his back pocket as he stood up the same.

“I could always drop you off before I drive back uptown, you know.”

“Honestly, Kagamicchi, you have got to stop being so generous. Someone’s bound to take advantage of you one of these days,” chided Kise gently, a remnant of the candy mint clacking against his teeth as he leaned over to rest an elbow on Kagami’s shoulder.

“Mm, maybe,” Kagami mused, gaze flicking back and forth from Kise’s eyes to his lips, voice dropping a little low. “I can’t say I’d mind too much if it were you, though,” he murmured, his hand finding Kise’s waist with a squeeze. His hand dropped away shortly after, but even so, the press of his fingers still tingled on Kise’s skin.

“…Anyways,” breathed Kise, suddenly becoming aware of their surroundings again as he stepped away, “I have no idea what your car looks like.”

“Ah. Right.” Kagami whistled idly to himself as he stepped out of the area of sidewalk sectioned off by the café, and Kise followed on his left. “Black Camry, parked about a block away.”

“Cool.” A brief silence settled in between them as they walked, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, interrupted once with a murmur of an apology as Kagami’s knuckles accidentally grazed the back of Kise’s hand, disturbed more purposefully when a beep from his car signaled that it was unlocked. Kise started towards the passenger door, but stopped, turning back when Kagami’s fingers encircled his wrist. 

“Yes, Kagamicchi?” Kise’s words were soft, careful as he watched Kagami chew on his lip for a moment, gazing down at their hands.

“I usually don’t suggest stuff like this, and you’re free to stop me if it weirds you out, but…our date doesn’t have to end here, you know.” Kise’s brows drew together, and he tilted his head to the side.

“Sorry, Kagamicchi, but I don’t think I follow what you’re saying.” Kagami slowly exhaled, then lifted his head, meeting Kise’s gaze.

“Like, if you were to invite me up to your apartment…”

“Oh.” Kise blinked. “ _Oh_.”

“I mean, if you don’t want to, I totally understand, but I just—”

“No, no, I’d love to! I don’t want to turn you down,” Kise said with a smile, slipping out of Kagami’s grip to head over to the passenger side. He sat down and closed the door, and once Kagami had started the car, his hand drifted over, settling on top of his thigh. 

“What?” He laughed as Kagami stiffened briefly under his touch. “I can’t let you get the first moves in all the time, Kagamicchi.”

***

Kagami wasn’t entirely sure what to do with himself once he was inside Kise’s apartment. The blond had excused himself to the restroom a while ago, and although he had told him to make himself at home, Kagami didn’t want to intrude too much, and sat on the edge of the couch, twiddling his thumbs as he looked around the room. The silver of the kitchen appliances shone out from behind a raised counter that sectioned off the area from the rest of the room, and though it was small, it was still modern and sleek. There was a selection of magazines spread out on the glass coffee table in front of him, gossip rags tossed in with men’s health, and beyond that, a large flatscreen was mounted on the wall across from him, framed by two large, abstract, paintings, their blues and greens bringing color in the otherwise monochromatic space. To his left, the carpet was bare, its space previously occupied by a pale blue yoga mat that had been hurriedly stashed away. The wall was more of a window than anything else, allowing him to gaze out across the city as the afternoon sun shone in.

“So…I suppose I should start out by saying I haven’t fucked anyone in a while, huh.” Kagami gave a small start at the sudden words spoken in the quiet apartment, and he forgot to breathe for a moment as his eyes landed on Kise standing in the bedroom doorway, a pale sliver of his chest exposed through his unbuttoned shirt.

“That’s fine,” he finally managed with a smile, sliding over so Kise could sit next to him, “It’s been a while for me, too.”

“Great! That means we’re bound to exceed our expectations in one way or another.” Kise hummed out a laugh at his own words as he sat down, tucking his legs underneath him, leaning his cheek into his hand, elbow resting on the top of the couch. “Or so I can hope.” Kagami fought the urge to shift closer, the sunlight bringing a sparkle into golden eyes.

“Maybe,” came the murmur, and Kagami lost his battle as he leaned in, brushing a kiss against Kise’s lips. The blond peered at him through his eyelashes, a hazy smile rising to his lips, and he rose up onto his knees as he kissed Kagami in response, the taste of the fries in his lunch still lingering on his lips, but it wasn’t unpleasant. He straddled the man, fingers sliding along his jawline, up his sideburns, and into his hair, mussing the spike flat in front. Kagami raised an eyebrow, and he placed an apologetic kiss on the corner of his lip.

“Sorry,” he explained, “It’s not that it looks bad—it’s just that it looks better like this.” Kagami eyed him skeptically, but a smile still flitted at his lips.

“Sure, Kise…whatever you say…it’s not like I can’t handle constructive criticism or anything…”

“I mean it!” Kagami wrinkled his nose. Kise breathed out a laugh, and he watched the redhead glance over at the window, pulling him from his thoughts with another kiss.

“Don’t worry about anyone seeing, Kagamicchi—I’m sure I’ll be dragging you into the bedroom soon enough. But, before I do that…can I ask about your history? I don’t need to know numbers or names, just if there’s anything I should be worried about.”

“Uh, I had one or two encounters with the clap in my early twenties, but that was years ago. Last time I had sex with a partner was two, three months ago, and he was clean. Anything else you need to know?”

“Mm, no, that’s perfect.” Kise angled his chin away as Kagami pressed a kiss to the side of his neck, inhaling deeply as his arms wrapped around his waist, but he pulled away as soon as he leaned in, breathing sharply.

“Fuck, is that cologne?”

“Um, yes?” The blond raised an eyebrow. “Is that going to be a problem?”

“Shit no, it’s _hot_.” Kise grinned and sighed, sinking into the warmth brought by Kagami’s mouth on his skin for a moment, then slid off his lap, grabbing a fistful of his shirt as he stood.

“Alright, I think it’s time for bed—wouldn’t you agree, Kagamicchi?” Kagami nodded eagerly and stood, obediently letting Kise lead him into the bedroom. In here the walls, bath, and bedding were white, too, the light a little muted through the curtains, but still warm. Kise let go of Kagami, shrugging his shirt to the floor, and Kagami did the same with his flannel, Kise pushing him onto his back when he was finished. He straddled him again and pressed his lips to his neck, kissing down, down, pausing only when a metallic taste entered his mouth. He pulled back and yanked the collar of Kagami’s t-shirt down with a finger, a dull silver ring hanging on the chain he had fished it out from underneath his shirt.

“Oh. I can take that off, if you want me to.” Kise smiled and shook his head.

“Mm, it’s fine—I can work around it.” Kise sat back carefully on his heels, hands sliding down Kagami’s chest to idly toy with the hem of his shirt, and Kagami’s hands found his waist, his thumbs skimming the line of waistband that peeked out above his jeans. The blond lifted a hand and tugged the elastic from his hair, slipping it around his wrist as he let his gaze drift over the other man.

“…I could get used to this view, you know.”

“Yeah? You plan on topping me?” Kise snorted.

“ _Please_. I was planning on riding you into the mattress, that’s all—I don’t even know if I could top you, Kagamicchi.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time I bottomed,” offered Kagami with a noncommittal shrug, but Kise’s jaw dropped, and he pinned him to the bed with a wide-eyed stare.

“No way. No _fucking_ way!” All Kagami could do was sheepishly grin and shrug again under Kise’s incredulous gaze.

“A guy’s got to switch things up sometimes, what can I say?”

“You can say something other than _that_!” Kise exclaimed, his voice cracking Kagami’s expression softened as he watched him huff out an exasperated breath, his cheeks beginning to flush pink. He gave his waist a small, affirming squeeze.

“I’d never make anyone do anything they didn’t want to do, and that applies to you, too, Kise.” Kise nodded slowly as he chewed his lip, making more eye contact with the tiger that gazed out from Kagami’s forearm than with the man himself. Then, his eyes flicked back up to Kagami for just a flash, shading them quickly as he lowered himself into a kiss, pushing up the fabric of the man’s shirt as he leaned in. Their kiss was extended and slow, and Kagami’s hands slid down from his waist, Kise’s breath spilling hot over his cheek as he palmed his ass. He dropped his hips to grind against Kagami’s, breaking off their kiss with a grin as a low groan vibrated in the other man’s throat. The fabric of Kagami’s shirt bunched up at his armpits, and he sat up, letting Kise peel the piece of clothing from his arms before he tossed it to the floor. He slid his fingers back up over the soft, dark hairs on his forearms until he reached his right shoulder, exhaling an amused laugh. Kagami sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, get it over with…” 

“Oh, Kagamicchi, don’t be embarrassed!” Kise grinned as his fingers traced over the Lakers logo inked into his skin. “It’s cute.”

“I doubt my eighteen-year-old self would call it cute,” muttered Kagami with a tinge of sarcasm, though a smile still graced his features. “Not sure I would call it cute even today.”

“It’s _cute_ ,” insisted Kise a second time before pressing his lips against Kagami’s, kissing him with a little more urgency this time, fingers trailing from his shoulder to the hard muscles of his pectorals, rubbing small circles into his nipple with his thumb, the other hand idly running over his abs and the coarse hairs that trailed up to his bellybutton. Kagami’s hands found his waist again, rubbing his sides as he nipped and sucked at his lower lip, tongue hungrily exploring Kise’s mouth when he finally slipped it inside. His fingers slid around to the front of his tan skinny jeans, slowly working at his belt buckle, and Kise let out a shuddery gasp in anticipation, eagerly pressing his boxer-clad semi into Kagami’s palm when he finally tugged his zipper down, moaning softly into his mouth as his fingers curled around his bulge in a firm squeeze. Kise pulled away a little reluctantly from the kiss, a string of saliva connected them until he dipped his head to lick at Kagami’s neck, tasting the faint saltiness of sweat on his skin, the effort at making a bruise slowed only his own breaths and soft whimpers as he continued to grind himself against the man’s hand.

“Kise.”

The name was rasped low and hoarse in his ear as Kagami tipped his chin up, lips brushing over his jawline. He slowly pried his other hand away from Kise’s crotch, but the blond still whined at the loss of warmth and friction, quieted only by Kagami cooing and dusting light kisses over his skin.

“Kise.” The man’s eyelids fluttered open to look at Kagami, who was smiling hazily out from flushed features. “It’s only fair if you touch me, too, don’t you think?” His gaze drifted down to Kagami’s tented jeans.

“Suppose so,” he breathed, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as his hands settled upon his belt buckle, undoing his jeans. His eyes widened, breath catching in his throat as the outline of Kagami’s length was revealed through his boxers, and, unable to contain himself, hooked his fingers in the elastic waistband, tugging both underwear and jeans down to mid-thigh. Kagami hissed softly as the cooler air hit his skin.

“Geez, Kise, give a little warni—”

“ _Fuck_ , Kagamicchi! You said you’ve bottomed before?” Kagami blinked.

“Yeah…?” Kise slowly shook his head and breathed out a laugh as he gazed down at Kagami’s thick cock, the tip flushed almost purple, a vein throbbing on the underside.

“Honestly…what a _waste_.” Kagami bit back a grin, hand passing over his cheeks as he flushed, not just from the heat between them. His eyelids blinked closed, and he slowly leaned back to the pillows as Kise’s fingers wrapped around him, thumb sliding over the dot of pre that glistened on his tip. It was only for a moment, though, his hands then moving to pull the rest of his clothing off his body, and he slid off the bed himself to wriggle out of his own jeans, underwear coming down as well. Kagami propped himself up on his elbows, wetting his own lips as he watched Kise peek into the drawer of the bedside nightstand—he, too, was of above-average length. He deposited a few condoms atop the nightstand and sat back on the bed with a bottle of lube in hand, the mattress settling underneath him as he moved.

“So. I’d like to started on this now, if that’s okay with you.” Kagami watched him shift the bottle of lube back and forth between his hands, nodding along as he spoke.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m all for it! You still want to be on top?”

“That would be preferred,” said Kise with a smile, reaching to pick up a condom from the nightstand, “But, before we start, can I put this on you? I tend to get pretty impatient.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I know what that’s like,” laughed Kagami as he took the bottle of the lube from Kise, squirting a generous amount into his palms, warming it between his hands as the man straddled him again. He opened the condom wrapper with a small tear, and the latex was cool on his skin as he rolled the condom down his cock. He slid his arms up his sides, to his chest, finally settling upon his shoulders as he leaned in, lips pressing against Kagami’s in a brief kiss.

“Alright. Ready when you are,” he murmured, eyes flicking up to meet Kagami’s. The man nodded, placing his left hand on the small of his back and slipping his right between his thighs, the lube slick as his fingers trailed along his skin. A small whine came from Kise as he traced his entrance with his fingertip, finally pushing the digit inside as the puckering underneath his touch and an urgent squeeze of his shoulders encouraged him onwards. Kise inhaled sharply, knitting his eyebrows together as Kagami inserted his finger fully, the knuckles of his hand pressing into his ass. He curled his finger inside him, then extended it, and settled into a steady rhythm, Kise moaning and rocking his hips along with his movements.

“Another,” he rasped, and Kagami obediently eased another finger inside, a moan cutting short in Kise’s throat as Kagami spread him wider. Slow thrusts were paired with interludes of fingers scissoring inside him, sweet noises eking past Kise’s lips as he bore his hips down on Kagami’s hand. 

“Do you want to try a third?” 

Kise shook his head. 

“Well…do you want _me_ , then?”

“Yes,” Kise whimpered, eyelids fluttering open so he could meet Kagami’s gaze. A grin twitched at his lips, and he slowly pulled out, running wet fingers over his own shaft before his hands returned to his waist. Kise inhaled a shaky breath as he felt Kagami’s tip teasing at his entrance.

“Oh, _fuck_!” He cried out, nails digging into his shoulders as Kagami slowly opened him up, breathing turning ragged as he pushed in further. Whimpers hummed at his lips as Kagami’s hands drifted down to his ass, the man gripping him tight and breathing out a moan of his own as Kise rolled his hips on his length. His hips moved with a steady back and forth rhythm, the motion bringing up a numb pleasure that drowned out the initial prickles of pain, Kagami’s fingertips pressing harder into his ass as the friction urged more moans out of his throat.

He pried a hand away from Kise’s ass a little reluctantly at first, fingers sliding down and around to the front of his thigh, then over, wrapping around his cock. Smearing the pre that oozed from his slit down his shaft, he pumped him slow, fingers moving languidly along his length. Kise choked out a breathless moan, not only at the much desired friction, but also as Kagami hit his spot with a buck of his hips, and he gritted his teeth as he brought himself down on his cock again with a touch more force, Kagami groaning under the sensation. He pumped him more quickly now, and the tingles of pleasure intensified sharply, heat coursing through his body, limbs slackening, vision whiting out as he came, spilling onto Kagami’s hand and stomach. Aftershocks of pleasure still hummed in him as Kagami continued to move his hips, hands dropping back to the sheets as he finally came with a low groan.

It was a few minutes before they finally got up, casually making their way to the master bath to clean themselves of stickiness with damp washcloths. But they did not linger for long, exiting and pulling on underwear before sliding into bed, duvet half covering their bodies as they spooned. 

“So,” Kagami began, nipping sweetly at Kise’s earlobe, “Are you just a hookup kind of guy, or are you more into commitment, or…?”

“Whoa, hold up.” Kise twisted around in his arms to face him. “This was not a hookup, my friend.” Kagami snorted.

“No?”

“No! Hookups are _waaaaay_ more spontaneous than this. Or, well, at least a little more spontaneous. This was…” Kise paused, searching for the word. “…post-date sex. Besides, I already agreed to another date with you, didn’t I?” Kagami blinked.

“You did?”

“Well, you wanted to play a one-on-one with me, didn’t you? That definitely counts as some kind of future date, doesn’t it?” A grin spread across Kagami’s lips as Kise spoke, and he hummed out a laugh as he leaned in, brushing a kiss against his cheek.

“Of course, Kise. Of course it does.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise wasn't expecting his best friend's wedding night to end the way it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's some drunk sex in this chapter so in case any of you are sensitive to situations with dubious consent, y'all should be wary of that (not that the sex scene is intended to harm anyone involved, but personally im in the camp where you can't fully consent to something if you're not fully aware of the situation!)

Kagami had long grown used to the fact that his social life wasn’t terribly active. Sure, he considered himself to be a pretty sociable guy, and he loved being around people, but his life had just gotten so damn _busy_ over the past few years. After he had gotten out of high school, there was work, school, and volunteer shifts at the station to juggle, and as work steadily took over, he found himself more and more preferring solitary activities like sleep, grocery shopping, and working out when he could fit them in—even after slower evenings at the bar, the thought of interacting with others still required a lot of energy he wasn’t always able to summon up. 

This didn’t mean he disliked going out with friends—it was just that he hesitated to organize such evenings because his schedule always threatened his availability, whether it be a sudden emergency at the restaurant, or being too physically or mentally tired. He did his best to make engagements when he could, but his friends had grown quiet lately, dealing with their own lives. 

As he made his way through a documentary on Netflix one Saturday night, his phone began to buzz beside him, lighting up with Kise Ryouta’s name. It was a bit of a surprise—not only because his evenings off tended to be low-key, but also because Kise had been painting himself as more of text-and-emojis kind of guy over the past few weeks. Still, he had certainly didn’t mind the contact, especially on a night off, he thought to himself as he lifted the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Kise. How a—” Kagami attempted a greeting, but was cut off by a sudden stream of words.

“So, I get that this is pretty last-minute, but my friend’s wedding is next weekend, and I planned to have a plus one with me, but just realized I have yet to actually find someone who could fill that spot, and I don’t know if you’re free next weekend, but if you are…want to be my date?” Kagami blinked, breathing out a soft laugh as he listened to Kise, a little rushed and breathless on the other end of the line.

“…Or, no hellos, then.”

“Oh, gosh, sorry, Kagamicchi! I’ve been a little stressed because of this whole wedding thing—didn’t mean to forget my manners. Hi! Hope your evening’s going okay.” Kagami couldn’t help but smile as he paused the movie, easily imagining the other man pace the floor of his apartment nervously.

“Hey, it’s no big deal—I’ve been there before. But, since you asked…I’m doing okay. Figured you’d try to set up a date sooner or later, since we haven’t seen each other in a few weeks. I’d definitely be up to go along with you, though I wouldn’t mind getting a little more information about the event first.”

“Oh, yeah, of course! There’s going to be a rehearsal dinner on Friday, but you don’t need to be there if you can’t make it, and the wedding and the reception are actually going to be held at a shrine and hotel in Kanagawa. The bride and groom are having a pretty traditional ceremony, but you’ll be fine in a suit and tie, and you’re more than welcome to spend Saturday night with me at the hotel. I mean, it’s gonna be my best friend’s wedding—all thoughts of sobriety are so off the table—and I don’t think you’d want to make that commute back home, either.”

“Well, when you add _that_ on the end, the whole thing starts to sound like an elaborate ruse to get me to sleep with you again, don’t you think?”

“Kagamicchiiiii!” Kagami bit back a laugh as Kise whined into his ear. “It’s not like that! I mean, yeah, our first time together _was_ pretty nice, and it’d be nice to have a date with me at the wedding so I could a) look like I have my life together, and b) not be bored, but my motives aren’t purely utilitarian, I promise!

“I kid, I kid—I’ll go. It sounds like it’ll be a fun time. Want to email me directions, along with any other stuff I need to know?”

“I’d be happy to! Well, now that that’s settled, I guess I should hang up now, huh?”

“That, or you could tell me about your week.”

“Oh god, could I ever. Wedding aside, this client we’ve been dealing with at work has been stressing me out so much, and I’ve barely even had time to relax, even on the weekends. Like, I was so disappointed that I couldn’t go to the gym today because of it, and that’s not even one of my favorite activities! Speaking of which, maybe we should try going together sometime…”

***

“Wow, Kagamicchi, you look so good!”

“You think so?” Kagami tugged at the sleeve of his jacket a little self-consciously. “I haven’t worn this thing in a few years—to be honest, I’m surprised it still fits.”

“Trust me, you look great.” Kise expelled a breath, glancing at the wedding guests as they milled around the shrine in the aftermath of the ceremony. “Anyways, I am _so_ sorry I couldn’t talk with you too much earlier! Had to keep the groom from getting cold feet, you know?”

“Thankfully you came out when you did—I was getting concerned that I was at the wrong wedding,” grumbled Kagami playfully, “But hey, I can see where you’re coming from—both your friend and his new wife looked absolutely _terrified_ in front of everyone. 

“Right? Poor things. Though, now that we made it through the ceremony, here’s hoping they’ll be a bit more relaxed at the reception—remind me to introduce you sometime later in the evening, okay?

“Sure.”

“I’m going to start rounding up people here, but you’re free to head off to the hotel now, if you’d like. You’re with the Kasamatsu party, and your place setting _should_ be next to mine—if it’s not, just send me a text, because I don’t want you to spend the rest of the day surrounded by people you don’t know, okay?”

“Why is it that I’m your date, and yet it seems like I’m the one who has to do all the hard work to get to you?” Kise laughed at the tease and winked, offering an apologetic shrug.

“Sorry, Kagamicchi! I promise I’ll see you in an hour, maybe less!”

“Yeah, yeah. I sure hope so.”

***

He tried his best to be a sociable guy, but at the wedding, even with Kise around, Kagami couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. Not that he was surprised—hell, he still was getting to know Kise—but he still tried to fight the feeling, mostly by dealing with the blond himself. He pulled him out onto the floor for a slow dance, not entirely sure if it was appropriate or not, considering they were only on their second date, but it was certainly more acceptable than whatever Kise was planning, the blond getting bolder with his touches with each additional drink he consumed. Mostly anonymous in the crowd of his guests, he didn’t particularly mind, though a thought in his own buzzed mind worried about Kise’s reputation. Stepping away from the bar, he ended his conversation with the bartender with a wave, and glanced around the room, finally spying the blond as he dug into a second piece of cake. 

“Glad to see you’re getting something in your stomach,” Kagami began, setting the bottle of champagne down on the table, “Though I don’t know if it’ll do you much good when it’s this late in the evening.”

“Hey, you’re the one supplying me with booze—you can’t complain,” Kise insisted pointedly between bites, gaze landing on the bottle, and Kagami could only issue a shrug in response.

“I made a friend.” He reached over, working the fork out of Kise’s fingers and into his own, stealing a bite with a grin as the blond whined in protest.

“…Anyways,” swallowed Kagami, “We should head up to our room soon, don’t you think?”

“Why?” Kise issued a pout. “It’s fun down here.”

“The guests of honor left about an hour ago, and the DJ is playing the Electric Slide for the fourth time in a row,” argued Kagami with a grin, bottle in one hand and Kise’s arm in the other as he pulled him from the table. Kise cast a blank look around the room before looking back to Kagami.

“…No shit?”

“Mmhm.” 

“Damn. I guess I’m more drunk than I thought I was. Upstairs we go.” Kagami hummed out a satisfied laugh as he steered Kise towards the bank of elevators, lips finding the shell of his ear as they stood waiting for an empty one, urging a small giggle out of the blond.

“Kagamicchi…”

“What, you’re finally deciding to act shy now?” Kise whined softly, turning to press his face into his neck, and Kagami’s brow furrowed, starting to think he was, indeed, shy, a thought process only interrupted by the lapping of a warm, wet tongue against his neck.

The elevator arrived, and the pair stepped inside, both fumbling to find the right button to push so no one could step in after them. Kagami’s arms snaked around Kise’s waist as the doors slid closed, lips finding his a little sloppily in the corner of the elevator. A gentle wobble and a ding from the doors signaled they had reached their floor, and they separated reluctantly as they walked out into the quiet hallway, pausing for just a brief moment to recall their room number before they continued to stumble down the hallway, Kagami peppering Kise’s hair with soft kisses when they finally stopped in front of their door.

A few tries with the key card later, they made their way inside, suit coats finding their way to the floor, champagne bottle unceremoniously finding its way into the mini-fridge. Kise leaned back onto the bed, pulling Kagami on top of him, fingers beginning to work at the buttons on his shirt as a hiccup escaped his mouth.

“…I brought condoms,” Kagami finally stated, dumbly watching Kise underneath him, not finding reason to say much else—perhaps he, too, was drunker than he originally thought. But Kise found no issue with the brevity of the statement, busying himself with undoing Kagami’s belt buckle.

“And lube?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good!” Kise chirped, smacking a wet kiss against Kagami’s cheek before he moved off, pants sliding down his legs as he made his way to his suitcase in the darkened room. He pulled his phone from his pocket before stepping out of his pants completely and dropped into a squat, wincing as the light from the screen illuminated the area, mumbling a choice word or two until he finally found what he was looking for. Tossing the condoms and packets of lube onto the bed, he realized that Kise had decided to undress on his own terms, leisurely stroking his shaft as he waited for Kagami to return to bed. Kagami stripped quickly, heat curling in his stomach as he finally clambered back on top of the blond.

There was no need to move quickly, and yet Kagami found himself reaching for a condom almost immediately, rolling it over his hardening length as Kise spread his legs. He ran a cool lube-slickened finger over his inner thigh, and Kise shivered, pulling Kagami closer, something like a pained laugh escaping him just a moment later.

“That thing’s dangerous, you know,” whined Kise as he held his nose, gaze fixed on the ring dangling from Kagami’s neck. His hands moved to the clasp, fumbling for a moment, but finally succeeding in removing the necklace, the chain pooling on the nightstand beside him as he set it down, all the while squirming as Kagami’s fingers traced idle circles into his thighs.

Kise’s fingers encircled Kagami’s wrist, guiding him back further, letting out a soft mewl when a finger landed upon his entrance, eagerly accepting him when he pushed past the round of muscle. Kagami leaned in, uninhibited by his necklace this time, and began to suck at Kise’s neck, a moan humming low in his throat as he roughly worked another finger inside. Kise’s hands slid around to his back, bucking his hips along with the thrusts of Kagami’s fingers, hungering for more. 

Kagami withdrew, and Kise whined in protest, but he choked on the noise, breathless as Kagami gripped his hips and thrust himself inside. Nails drawing lines into his skin, Kise’s heel dug into the small of his back, whimpering and gasping as he was stretched, only holding him tighter as he hit his spot.

“Ah—nnh…Kasamatsucchi…” 

The thrusts slowed to a halt, and a sense of realization gradually dawned on Kise’s inebriated mind.

“…That’s not your name. Oops.” Kagami, unfazed by Kise’s innocent tone, scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.

“No, no it’s not. Maybe we’re too drunk for this, huh?”

“I didn’t mean to say it, I promise! C’mon, Kagamicchi, I’m sorry…” Kise summoned up his best pout, but Kagami still pulled out with a muted grunt, finding his way out of bed and into the bathroom as he groped along the walls. The blond propped himself up on his elbow, staring expectantly at the line of light that shone out from under the doorway. But the low sounds of Kagami finishing himself off prompted him to collapse back into bed, finally letting out a soft, defeated sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh, kise, you struggle so hard. im trying to keep this fic updated every two weeks, so stay tuned for the morning after~


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After last night's mishap, Kise decides it might be best to take a break from Kagami for a while--not that he thinks it's going to be easy.

Kise was certain that if humans could die of embarrassment, he would have passed away on the spot right then and there.

Well, almost nearly certain—he _did_ have a handsome man in bed next to him, and would have hated to let such an opportunity go to waste. Admittedly, that didn’t mean he would embrace the coming of morning with open arms, either—he may have accepted that the headache and the memories from the previous night weren’t worth dying over, but a hint of mortification still lingered. His journey to wakefulness was slow and just a little bit agonizing, groaning and muttering to himself as he replayed the scene in his mind, not wanting to decipher what it meant, but all the while aware that it would come, if only due to the nature of eventuality itself. With another self-depreciating groan, he flipped over onto his back, finally blinking himself awake.

“You’ve been a little vocal this morning. What, have a rough night?”

Kise couldn’t help but whine as his eyes drifted up to Kagami, hair mussed, upper lip and chin dusted with a shadow of stubble, teeth flashing in a grin that came along with the gentle tease. His own drunken recklessness had brought this man into his life, and he found himself wanting to sink his head into the tan of his chest, fingers curling around inked shoulders as he sought comfort from his misfortune, but that same idiocy threatened to take him away.

“You’re the last person I need that kind of comment from, Kagamicchi,” he moaned, dragging his hands down his face, and Kagami exhaled a laugh, lowering his phone and leaning in, murmuring an apology as he grazed Kise’s forehead with a kiss. A second later, he paused, then withdrew with a softer, stilted laugh, phone disappearing into the sheets as his empty hand rose to scratch awkwardly at the back of his head.

“Or…maybe I shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Can’t say if it’ll help my headache, but I appreciate the effort,” offered Kise with an apologetic smile as he sat up in bed, fingers trailing through his hair. Glancing around the room, he spotted the half-drunk glass of orange juice on the bedside table, and leaned over Kagami to grab it, pausing only to cock an eyebrow as he let eyes drift over the shirtless man once more.

“So, you got up, got dressed, went out, bought orange juice…only to come back and undress again?”

“ _Wow_ , I can’t say I remember asking for any of your sass, either,” came the retort, and Kise grinned, though the expression quickly soured as he took a sip, champagne bubbles tingling on his tongue. 

“Oh god, why would you let me have alcohol? You’re terrible,” scoffed Kise, depositing the glass back into his palm.

“Serves you right,” teased Kagami with a smug look, “But you can’t say you’d let that champagne go to waste, either.” 

“If I had to get out of bed though? I doubt it. Honestly, Kagamicchi, you have too much faith in me.”

“It’s not so bad when there’s a café selling orange juice downstairs.” Kise grumbled some incomprehensible noise in response, finally motivating himself out of bed and into the bathroom. Kagami let out a sigh, relaxing as he left the room—not at the removal of his presence, but out of relief, grateful that the atmosphere wasn’t terribly awkward between them.

The blond exited the bathroom a few minutes later donning a clean shirt and briefs, yesterday’s smudges of eyeliner wiped away from the corners of his eyes. Similar to Kagami, he had snagged one of the glasses provided by the hotel, but filled it with water instead, hoping to combat his hangover. Kagami had flicked the TV on in his absence, semi-interested in the sports program that was airing, but turned it off once he had sat back down on the bed.

“Oh, you could’ve kept watching that, it’s no big deal.” Kagami shrugged.

“Eh, it wasn’t that interesting. Besides, we should probably talk sometime before we have to check out, right?” Kise flushed pink, and he ducked his head, idly twirling a strand of hair around his finger.

“Yeah. Probably.” Kagami nearly moved to massage his back, but caught himself, fingers curling into a loose fist—touch, no matter how comforting intentions it held, would probably not be the smartest thing to do in this situation. Still, he inclined his head a little closer to Kise, brows drawing together with concern.

“I won’t make you talk if it makes you uncomfortable, I do mean that. But I also want you to know that I do get pretty serious about relationships, and even though I can’t quite say I’d consider you my boyfriend just yet, there’s always the possibility that I someday could. Maybe you had a little too much to drink last night, maybe there’s something else going on—who knows. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page before we go any further, if that’s understandable.”

“No, no, that’s definitely reasonable.” Kise bit his lip. “I’ll be honest with you—I have no idea if I was just drunk last night, or if I repressed some feelings, or whatever—I know I had a crush on the guy when we were in high school, that much is true. But he turned me down then, and obviously we’re pretty good friends, since I was his best man and all.” He exhaled a soft laugh. “I haven’t had any kind of romantic or sexual thoughts about him in _years_ , and I know he’d never reciprocate them if I did, but even so…I need some time to think everything over. Couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Hey, if you need it, go for it.” Kise brightened over his encouraging words, and sat up straighter, a little more confident than before.

“Thanks, Kagamicchi. Though I can’t say the idea of realizing I still have feelings for my best friend right after he’s gotten married is much of a comforting one…” Kagami cracked a grin in response.”

“You’re probably right there, but sometimes these kinds of things just happen, and you gotta deal with it somehow.” He paused, tugging at the ring that hung around his neck. “Like, I don’t know if I mentioned this before, but I have a brother—not biological, but I honestly don’t know where I’d be without him. We’ve always been really close, and we messed around a little when we were younger, exploring sexuality and all that crap like teenagers do. Then, he met this guy when we went to college, and they started dating, and it tore me _apart_. Fucking cried for days, it was so bad. But we talked about it, and I was able to sort through everything, and eventually it all worked out okay.”

“Huh.” Kise’s eyes flicked down to the ring around his neck. “I’m guessing that’s from him?” 

“Yeah, we have matching ones. It’s a little sappy, but at this point, I suppose there’s not much of a reason to stop.”

“That’s sweet. My relationship with my friend is kind of like that, I guess—he’s not exactly one for emotional displays, but, y’know, we still care about each other.” Kagami nodded along as he spoke.

“That’s great. It’s good to have people like that in your life. Whatever happens, I hope it works out okay—for you two, and for us, I guess.

“You _guess?_ ”

“I mean—” Kagami glanced away, cheeks coloring. “If it’s not weird for me to say that, that is.” Kise couldn’t help but coo endearingly at his words.

“You’re so sweet, Kagamicchi…”

“Yeah, well,” began Kagami, hand rising to rub at the back of his neck, “You are pretty attractive, but it’s not just that. You’re easy to get along with, and we have a lot in common, and I’d really like to get to know you more, so…”

“Well, now I feel crappier than ever about having to take a break from you. Gonna miss being spoiled with all this sweet talk.” Kagami laughed, the color showing no sign of fading from his features.

“I ought to stop before I get carried away. But I mean…I can’t say I wouldn’t mind if you still sent me a text or two, if you ever felt so inclined.” 

“Hmm…I’ll consider it,” mused Kise with a wink. “God, look at us, still flirting even when we say we should take a break. How will we survive?” To that, Kagami could only offer a clueless shrug in response. 

“Oh well. We’ll just have to see what happens.” Kise rose from the bed with a stretch. “In the meantime, we better get clothed and check out before we start to think otherwise.”

“Yeah, that might be wise.” Kagami stood up himself, downing the last of his mimosa.

“Kise?” 

The blond lifted his head from his bag.

“Hm?”

“Thanks for inviting me. This was pretty fun.”

“Even with me making a drunken fool out of myself?” 

Kagami’s smile was genuine, and warm, and Kise winced just the smallest bit inwardly at the thought of not being able to see it for an indeterminate amount of time.

“Of course.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's rather short, sorry about that! here's to hoping these two aren't separated from each other for too long! also, im planning for murahimu to make an appearance next chapter, so keep an eye out for those two~


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't expect it to be this rough, but he was certain that talking to Tatsuya would help.

Kagami didn’t exactly consider himself to be a workaholic, but he didn’t always find it easy to relax on the weekends, either. Not that he didn’t want to relax—it was just that his life seemed so damn _dull_ sometimes that sedentary activities felt like even more of a waste of time if he wasn’t doing anything productive. The addition of Kise Ryouta to his life made him busier at times, yes, but it also gave him the ability to appreciate and enjoy some of the slower moments.

He thought he would be able to handle the idea of Kise potentially being removed from his life easier than he did. Kise, surprisingly enough, had stuck to his end of the bargain when it came to suspending communication, and Kagami’s phone, virtually buzzing every other minute for the past month, had gone silent. He found his heart sinking when he would get texts from coworkers and friends, typing out drafts of messages he couldn’t bring himself to send, and slowly began to realize that he had to talk to _someone_ about this situation. Emails and telephone calls seemed complicated, though, almost a little impersonal, and he recognized he needed at least some kind of human interaction outside of pouring customers extra shots of tequila.

So, when the first weekend after the wedding arrived, he put himself on a train to Akita.

It would have been ridiculous to talk to anyone other than Himuro about it, to be honest. He did have friends in his life he was more than happy to talk to no matter what the subject matter was, but his relationship with his brother was on a level that others were just unable to reach. He trusted Himuro. He wasn’t scared of being judged by him. And, even he though he was confident in his ability to make his own decisions, Himuro had yet to give him a single piece of bad advice in all the years they had known each other. 

Though that didn’t mean the advice he gave him was always delivered in the kindest of ways.

“I’m sorry, Taiga, but…” Himuro muted the baseball game playing on the TV in front of him and sunk his forehead into his hand, brow creasing as he squeezed his eyes shut tight, a pained noise escaping his throat. Brushing his bangs back, he lifted his head to look back over at Kagami sitting on the other side of the couch. “You’re gonna have to explain this to me one more time. When did you first meet?” Kagami responded with a weak smile.

“At the bar, five weeks ago.”

“And how many dates have you been on?”

“Two. Lunch and a movie. Three, if you count the wedding.”

“And how many times have you fucked?”

“Just once. Well, one and a half times, I guess.”

“And during the last time, he…”

“…Called his best friend’s name instead of mine,” finished Kagami, exhaling a sigh. “His best friend who had just gotten married a few hours before.”

“Wow, Taiga, that’s…” Himuro let out a faltering, low laugh, unable to find the words to describe the situation. Kagami couldn’t say he had much of a better description himself.

“Yeah, it’s…kind of a hot mess.”

“ _Kind of?_ ”

“Well, he _was_ drunk at the time, and his friend and I kind of have similar names, so it might’ve just been a mistake.” Himuro narrowed his eyes at him, looking at him curiously for a few seconds before finally acquiescing.

“Okay.” Kagami raised an eyebrow similarly.

“What?”

“ _What_ what?”

“I know that look, Tatsuya. You’re not just gonna let the conversation end there.” Himuro chewed on his lip, gaze flicking up to the TV for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

“Look, Taiga. You might not be calling this guy your boyfriend just yet, but I know you. You fall hard, and you fall fast, and the last thing I want is for you to get hurt. I mean, if it was just a mistake, would he still have needed to take a break from you?” 

Kagami opened his mouth to reply, but stalled, unable to find a response. Closing his mouth, he dipped his head, scratching the back of it awkwardly. A sympathetic smile flitted at Himuro’s lips as he placed a hand atop his brother’s knee.

“I’m happy that you’ve found someone you might want to be with. Honestly, Taiga, I really am. But that doesn’t mean I want you to be reckless. After all, you’re not even sure of what your own feelings are right now—maybe you should use this break to figure that out, too.” Kagami leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“It’s been two years since I’ve had a boyfriend,” he admitted a few moments later.

“Guess that means you want one pretty badly, huh?”

“Yes, god. More than anything.” Himuro’s fingertips were firm against his kneecap as he listened to the raw threads of desperation and frustration in his voice.

“You could want anyone as your boyfriend, though.” Kagami opened his mouth to protest, but Himuro quickly held up a hand. 

“Or,” he continued, “You could want him.” Kagami pursed his lips, threading his fingers into his hair as he mused on his brother’s words.

“Fuck,” he eventually hissed out. “ _Fuck_.” Himuro cocked an expectant eyebrow as he waited for further explanation.

“I want him, Tatsuya. And it’s not just physical attraction—like, that’s definitely a part of it, but it’s not just that. I want to get to _know_ him. I want to know what his birthday is, what his favorite food, what his first kiss was like. Fuck, I want to know _everything_ about him.”

“Well, Facebook should help answer at least one of those questions, if that’s any consolation.” Kagami let out a snort, rolling his eyes at the comment.

“Gee, thanks.”

“Glad to be of assistance.” Himuro’s smile was more permanent now. “You always had the worst crushes when we were younger.”

“Yeah,” Kagami wrinkled his nose. “Can’t say I’m happy that that still happens,” he remarked, sarcasm evident in his voice as a strange mixture of excitement and misery swirled around inside him. His brother cracked a grin.

“Either way, Taiga, I’m pretty sure it’ll work out with this guy.” Himuro’s gaze flashed to Nijimura as he leaned over the couch, swiping a handful of popcorn from the bowl that sat between them. “Don’t you think so, Shuu?

“Of course! Taiga’s a good guy—anyone who can’t see that doesn’t deserve him, if you ask me.” Nijimura smiled at his brother-in-law, giving him a supportive nod.

“Thanks, man.”

“Hey, it’s no problem. I gotta say, the name ‘Kise’ is weirdly familiar to me, though…” He tossed another piece of popcorn into his mouth, then shrugged, heading back to the kitchen to make them a proper lunch.

“In any case,” began Kagami after a moment, “I’m fairly sure it’s safe to say he won’t leave me for a man who just got married a week ago, right?” A smile tugged at the corner of Himuro’s lips.

“We can only hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is so short AGAIN gosh im so sorry!! only after this series ended did i realize how much i loved kagami and himuro's relationship, and part of me really just wants them to have bro moments. stay tuned for the next chapter though! kise and kasamatsu might have a little confrontation...
> 
> edit 2/1/16: this was once murahimu...but now it's nijihimu because a) have you read replace v? and b) his character will have much more of a role than murasakibara ever would. thanks for understanding!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having come to a decision, Kise decides to meet with Kasamatsu in person so they can talk it over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (my writing style changed during this fic so sorry for the sudden change of tenses if you're marathoning this haha)

Kise Ryouta was not in love with a newly married man.

Kise Ryouta was not in love with his best friend.

Simply possessing this knowledge should have made him feel ecstatic, and he certainly was grateful, in a sense, tossing casual thanks up to whatever deities that might have saved him from his own dangerous emotions. Realizing that Kasamatsu wasn’t the object of his affections, a thought entered his head, suggesting that he cancel their plans to meet up for lunch, and it was one that he certainly entertained for more than a few moments—he could call the meeting off, and Kasamatsu would have gone through his day, his week, his life none the wiser to the fact that Kise, over the course of a few days, genuinely wondered if he wanted to be in a relationship with him, or have sex with him, or not.

But Kasamatsu wasn’t the type of person who would let him excuse himself so easily, especially not after the phone call Kise gave him to orchestrate their lunch in the first place. He had tried to keep his voice even when he initially rang him a few days prior, punctuated with notes of his usual chipper tone, but he betrayed himself, words cracking as they escaped his throat—at that point, he was still in the middle of questioning what Kasamatsu was to him, and frankly, the very possibility of thinking of Kasamatsu as anything other than platonic scared the hell out of him. Kasamatsu, ever the practical man, held fast to the opinion that meeting up in person was plenty unnecessary—they were already on the phone together, and if Kise wanted him to talk about his honeymoon, he was willing to do it right then and there. His friend’s babbling, however, frantic and shrill at times, managed to convince him otherwise, and he eventually agreed to get lunch with him on Sunday. But suspicion lingered in his voice in the form of pauses and carefully drawn out syllables—Kise could practically hear the wrinkle in his brow become increasingly fixed in his features as he gradually gave into his request over the phone.

Knowing that he isn’t in love with Kasamatsu should be reassuring, and, to an extent, it is. But he still isn’t entirely at ease—if you spend a week’s time soul searching, you’re bound to unearth something that you didn’t want to encounter, and Kise had done just that. There is something different in him, and it’s not a feeling that is entirely foreign, but sometimes it makes him think that being in love with Kasamatsu would be almost bearable in comparison. 

He had gotten to the restaurant much earlier than their scheduled meeting time in hopes that a little more exposure to the spring air might calm him before they have to meet in person, but even though he tries his best to be optimistic, his plan doesn’t exactly succeed. The green of the matcha in his half-drunk frappuccino echoes a faint churning in his stomach, and he finds himself unable to finish it, nervously sipping from the glass of water a waiter had given him in its place. A part of him does manage to be forlorn over the waste of the drink—the holiday season wasn’t exactly near, and even though his friends knew him well, Starbucks gift cards weren’t always guaranteed to be his birthday presents.

The drink is one thing. His knuckles going white as he clenches his knee, hoping to curb the restless jitters in his leg, are another. A rational part of him insists that none of this is as bad as he thinks it to be.

Or so he hopes.

Kasamatsu arrives a few minutes early—to him, being on time essentially signified lateness in itself—and is even a little surprised when he sees that Kise has gotten there before him.

“You? On time? That’s rare,” he remarks as he slides into the booth, and Kise manages to roll his eyes in response, though smoothly transitions into a smile, watching Kasamatsu shrug the brown leather jacket from his shoulders—the weather had undoubtedly lost its bite that came with the winter months, but still wasn’t fully committed to being entirely temperate just yet. 

“As surprising as it may be, Kasamatsucchi, I’m not as perpetually late as you might think.” 

“Yeah?” Kasamatsu snorts. “Is this the one occasion that’s changing that?”

“Hey! I was plenty early to your wedding, thank you very much!” Kise huffs out a breath, but isn’t terribly offended by the statement. His eyes flick to Kasamatsu’s wedding band as the man flags a waiter down to secure himself a beer, and notes that he seems to have acquired a habit of touching it every so often, almost in disbelief that it’s really there.

“…Anyways,” begins Kise when Kasamatsu finally acquires a drink of his own, idly pushing his straw around in his glass of water, “How was the honeymoon?”

“Good, good!” He pauses to take a drink from his beer. “Hawaii was good. We managed to get along okay in English, though we met a number of other people there who spoke Japanese as well, so we had no problem finding our way around, thank goodness.”

“That’s nice! All your Facebook updates looked _gorgeous_ , by the way.”

“Oh, man, everything there was so beautiful—the pictures still don’t do it justice. What I’d give to spend the rest of my life there…” His smile is polite—he had never been one for toothy grins or creases at the corners of his eyes—but Kise, having known him for so many years, is certain that there is genuine happiness behind it.

“I’m surprised someone as uptight as you even wanted to honeymoon there in the first place, let alone live there,” remarks Kise, smirk tugging at the corner of his lip.

“Ha ha, very funny.” Kasamatsu’s sarcasm fades away as his eyes drift down, but the smile still remains on his lips. “We needed a break after the wedding, that I’ll admit to. And I know I’m not always the best at relaxing, but…” He pauses, fingers finding his ring again, “sometimes there are people that enter your life who can help convince you otherwise.”

Kise knows he should be happy for him, and he is. But there’s a part of him that is that can’t help but think that he should be happier. His best friend has a good job, just got married, and is bound to start a family soon enough—he should be _overjoyed_ for him. But he comes up short, and there is something gnawing at him inside, curling around his head and his heart, and it’s stupid, he knows it is, but he just can’t shake it.

He hopes his smile isn’t too forced. If it is, Kasamatsu fails to tell him so.

“Anyways,” continues Kasamatsu, “There was a lot of sightseeing, we ate a lot of good food, obviously spent time together…I could go on, but you know how bad I am at talking at length, and if I did, I’d probably just end rambling about my wife, and I’m sure you don’t want to be subjected to that, so I’ll stop there. I was getting the feeling that you wanted to talk to me about something else, though I might be wrong…” he muses, lifting an eyebrow at Kise as he goes to take another drink. Kise exhales a laugh, glancing away from Kasamatsu for a moment.

“Obvious as usual, aren’t I? Well…you remember the date I brought to the wedding, right?”

“Yeah, he seemed like a decent guy.” Kasamatsu pauses, frowning. “Can’t say I remember his name, though.”

“Kagami.”

“Ah, right.”

“So, we were in our hotel room, and obviously we’re both a little drunk, so we’re like, oh, well, let’s have sex, and—” Kasamatsu interrupts him with a loud cough, nearly choking on his beer.

“We’re in public, you idiot!” He hisses out the words, cheeks turning pink. “And I _know_ I’ve told you before that I don’t want to hear about what you do in bed. _Ever._ ”

“I’m not talking about because I want to!” Kise explains, “There’s a point to it, I swear. Long story short…I said your name at one point,” he admits with a sigh, and Kasamatsu relaxes a little with that confession, though he still looks a little wary.

“That doesn’t mean anything, though…does it? I mean, our names sound kinda similar, and you were pretty hammered, so…” He raises his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for Kise’s answer.

“That’s what I was thinking, too, but then I thought to myself, shit, what if I _do_ feel something for Kasamatsucchi? So I thought it over, entertained a whole bunch of fantasies, which I promise I will never share with you, trust me, because I figured out that all the emotions I feel for you, and hopefully ever will feel for you, are purely platonic.”

“Thank god,” Kasamatsu breathes, “Only you would be dumb enough to fall in love with me on my wedding day.” Kise shrugs and makes a sheepish face at the dig, long used to Kasamatsu’s insults, which he had realized came from a good place.

“Yeah, I know, that’s why I was concerned!” He hums out a laugh, but then his face drops a little as he exhales softly. 

“We’re still friends, right, Kasamatsucchi?” Kasamatsu’s brow furrows at the insecurity in his voice.

“Yes? Of course we are. I mean, sure, it’s a little weird that you thought you could have been in love with me, considering how many times I’ve turned you down before, but it’s not so big of a deal that I’d stop being your friend because of it.”

“No, not that. I mean, like…overall. Are we still friends.’ Kasamatsu nearly laughs at the ridiculousness of the question.

“Did I not just say we were? What the hell, Kise? You never act like this.”

“Well, like…we haven’t been able to see each that much recently, and…” Kise trails off, glancing away, and Kasamatsu, opening his mouth to respond, gapes for a moment, then closes his mouth, his expression softening as he watches Kise in silence.

“Kise.” Kasamatsu waits until Kise’s eyes slide back to him before he continues. “We’re not in school anymore. We don’t live that close too each other anymore. We don’t have the luxury to be around each other that much anymore, and, well, that’s just a part of becoming an adult, I guess.” He pauses, taking a sip of beer.

“But, don’t you _ever_ think I’m going to stop being friends with you because of that. Don’t even think it for a second, because yes, I’m busy with work, I’m going to busy with my family, but you’re a part of my life, too, and even if I have to cancel on you sometimes, I will always make it up to you. I mean, I don’t love you like how I love my wife, but, shit, I wouldn’t be who I am today if I hadn’t met you.” He smiles as Kise’s expression brightens, and he reaches across the table, giving his shoulder a light, affectionate punch.

“Besides, if I’m not spoiling my kids rotten, their uncle is going to have to pick up the slack, right?” Kise’s breath nearly catches as he inhales, and he sniffs, forcing himself to look up at the ceiling as he blinks back tears.

“You’re so mean, Kasamatsucchi! I’m already emotional, and then you go and say something like that…!”

“Hey, don’t blame me! You got yourself into this situation, and I did what I had to do to get you out of it.” Kasamatsu rolls his eyes with a smile, giving his head a small shake, then catches their waiter’s attention, informing him they’ll need to look at the menu for a little while longer.

***

“Not sure if I’m allowed to answer this, but since you’re calling me, I’m going to be optimistic and hope it’s not a buttdial…” Kise laughs at the greeting, tension flowing out of him as he hears Kagami’s voice. He sits in his car, holding the steering wheel loosely as he looks out at the traffic jam in front of him.

“It’s me, and no need to worry, Kagamicchi. I just finished talking with Kasamatsucchi earlier, so that means we’re allowed to talk again, too.” Kagami hesitates for a moment and stands up a little straighter at the stove, turning the burner down.

“Oh, yeah? Can…can I ask what the verdict is?”

“Considering that’s why I’m calling you, you don’t have to ask,” hums Kise, smile tugging at his lip. He exhales softly, taking a second to figure out how he wants to say it.

“…I’m not in love with him, Kagamicchi. And I’ve known that for about a week now, but I just wanted to talk with him before I told you. Sorry for making you wait.” Although Kise can’t see it, a smile automatically rises to Kagami’s lips, and he relaxes, letting out a contented sigh.

“Oh, that’s—I mean, are you okay with that?”

“Yes, Kagamicchi, of course I am! He just got married!” Kise exclaims, incredulous, “What do you want me to say?”

“I don’t know! It was probably a pretty emotional time for you, so…” Kagami trails off, and Kise smiles fondly at the sentiment.

“Anyways,” he continues, “I had to run some errands, and even though we’re both working tomorrow, I wanted to see if you could go to dinner tonight, but there’s this car crash up ahead of me, and traffic’s really awful, so that probably won’t work out…Either way, it’s nice to hear your voice, at least.” Kagami ducks his head a little, smiling at the comment.

“Yeah, Kise, you too.” His hand rises to scratch at the back of his head. “But, I mean, I already started making dinner myself, and you’re in your car, so…if you wanted to come over once traffic clears up, that’d be fine, too.”

“Oh? Well, I don’t want to impose—”

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve been cooking for myself for years and I still overestimate how much I can eat, so you coming over would actually help me out. If you’re a fan of curry, that is.”

“Curry’s great! Do you want to text me your address? I can just copy it into my phone’s GPS from there.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Kagami pauses for a second, biting his lip as he grins. “See you later, Kise.” Kise smiles similarly as traffic inches forward.

“Thanks, Kagamicchi. See you soon.”

***

Kise knows he likes to talk, though he can’t help but think that Kagami’s a little quiet tonight, although cordial. Granted, he had only known him for a few weeks before suddenly deciding to suspend communication with him for another two, but he doesn’t think his memory is _that_ bad. 

“Is something the matter, Kagamicchi? You’re not talking all that much,” he muses out loud this time, slipping an arm around his waist as he stirs the pot on the stove. Kagami cracks a grin, relaxing underneath his touch.

“Yeah? Sorry about that—my life honestly wasn’t all that exciting when you were gone, so there isn’t much to talk about. Besides, even if I tried talking about something, I’d probably end up getting distracted.” Kise raises an eyebrow.

“By?”

“By my only being able to think about how nice it is to see your face again.”

“Well, if that’s the case, you could always, oh, I don’t know, kiss it,” suggests Kise with a smile, noting the faint color in Kagami’s cheeks, “And if you’re somehow embarrassed by that idea, I could always remind you of what happened on our first date.”

“ _That_ was in an entirely different context,” comments Kagami somewhat dryly, wiping his hands on the towel hanging from the oven before turning to face Kise. His hands falls upon his waist, and Kise moves his hands up to his neck, rubbing at the top of his spine.

“Fair, though if you keep this up, I’m going to have to kiss you myself,” Kise murmurs, leaning in with half-lidded eyes. Kagami’s hand rises to his cheek, stilling his advance as his thumb traces along his cheekbone. His breaths are soft and warm over Kise’s skin for a moment, and then he leans in, kissing him slowly, carefully, making the moment last until he has to pull back, panting softly. He grins at Kise, then lifts the spoon on the stove to his lips, letting him get a taste of their dinner.

“Oh, wow, that’s good,” gushes Kise, licking the mild spice from his lips, “That, and the kiss.” He pecks Kagami’s lips with a smile, reluctant to leave his embrace.

“…It’s nice to be back, Kagamicchi.” Kagami smiles at Kise, petting his hair as he lays his head on his shoulder.

“Yeah, Kise. I missed you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while since an update, many apologies about that! As much as I've wanted to write these past few weeks, the material I've been trying to create has just felt weird to me, but I'm finally feeling more like myself with this chapter. It's a bit strange for me to write platonic Kikasa, but they're just as good that way, and we're back to Kagakise from here on. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	7. Chapter 7

Basketball, admittedly, is not the most graceful of sports to watch. The action is stop and go, and the squeals of the players’ shoes on the court is grating, at times. Players get pissed at each other, coaches get pissed at referees, and the fans get pissed at everybody. For a sport that’s fairly bloodless, it can still be pretty damn frustrating.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find beauty in it, of course. You can find it in the arc of a three-pointer, in the swish of the net when a team scores, just before the buzzer blares its final call. And that’s not all, Kagami thinks to himself. He’s found plenty of beauty in the way Kise’s cheeks pink with exertion near the end of an hour’s game, in the way his sweat glistens on his features. In the way his mascara and eyeliner _still_ look perfect even with sweat pouring down his face, in the curves of his shoulders and calves. In the way that, not matter how hard he’s panting at the end of a hard sprint down the court, he never stops grinning. Not even for a second.

“I can’t believe I let you beat me, Kagamicchi,” Kise whines one Saturday afternoon, that same smile still resting on his lips. Kagami snorts softly, cracking a grin as they walk off a sunny asphalt court, not too far from his apartment.

“Let you? You’re the one who told me to go all out, Kise—you brought this loss upon yourself.” The blond purses his lips in a pout, but his smile quickly returns with a shrug of his shoulders, and they slowly make their way into the shade of a neighboring park.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I’ll get you next time, though, so you better not let your guard down!” The warning comes with a wink, and then Kise lets his duffel bag slip from his shoulder, down to the grass. He settles down in the grass shortly after, eagerly gulping from his water bottle when he pulls it from his bag.

“I look forward to it,” exhales Kagami as he sits down himself, the exhaustion from their game starting to seep into his muscles. The worn basketball rolls to a stop just a few centimeters away after slipping from his hand, but it barely registers, as his focus has shifted to the small cooler he’s brought. The bottles of Pocari chill his fingertips as he plucks them out, depositing one in Kise’s open hand, who hums a thank you in response. 

“Seriously, though, you might’ve had an unfair advantage in that game, Kagamicchi. I don’t think I’ve worn these shoes since my last year at university…” Kise muses, mostly to himself as he rolls his ankles with a careful stretch, faintly remembering an old injury back in his high school tournament days. 

“Huh,” Kagami grunts, mouth already half-full of salmon onigiri, brow starting to wrinkle. He swallows. “You’re not hurting, are you?”

“Nah,” Kise dismisses with a smile, picking a saran-wrapped onigiri from the cooler for himself. He raises his eyebrows then, looking skeptically at the rice ball that’s nearly too big for his hand before peering into the cooler with concern. “Good lord. How much food _did_ you bring?”

“Enough. I think.” Kagami admits after a beat, ducking his head with a sheepish smile. “Gotta replenish those calories somehow.”

“Well, yeah, but…” Kise trails off then, rolling his eyes, but he sighs with a smile as he resigns himself to Kagami’s appetite. It means he gets free lunch, and for that, he can’t really complain. He eats the rice ball carefully, savoring the saltiness from the umeboshi inside. The shouts of children playing fill the silence between them, as do the passing cars nearby, but neither of them mind.

“So…I have a question.” Kagami turns his head, lifting his eyebrows as he looks at Kise.

“Yeah? What’s up?” Kise exhales some kind of laugh, scratching at his nape, mussing with his sprig of a ponytail for an anxious second before looking at Kagami.

“Well, this might be weird, but you know that one project I’ve been working on? The one I keep bitching about?”

“I don’t think I could forget about it, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Sorry about that. Anyways, I mostly thought I was just going to working on it behind the scenes. But now they want me to go with them to the show in New York City next week, which is kind of stressful, but, y’know, whatever. _Anyways_ , to my real point—this whole event is a weeklong thing and there are plenty of plus-one events alongside boring corporate stuff, and I’m apparently important enough that they’ll let me bring someone else along with me, to sweeten the deal. So, I know we haven’t even been dating official for a month, and I don’t know if you’d be able to go, because of the bar, and I don’t even know if you’d _want_ to go, but, if you do…come to New York with me?”

Kagami’s first instinct is to blink. He gapes just a little at Kise’s offer—not that it’s a shock. It’s just a little unexpected, and he needs a moment to process it all before he finally grins a little. 

“I mean, I’m going to have to get some people to cover the bar, and they might not be too happy about that, but…sure. Why not? I never was able to make it out there myself, and I’m starting to run out of good date ideas. So. Might as well.” He can’t really stop his grin from spreading, then, especially with the way Kise’s practically _glowing_ with his affirmation. He passes a hand through his hair, and he falls back to the grass, shoulders sloping with genuine relief as a laugh peals out, bright as the afternoon sun.

“Oh, thank god. I don’t think I’d be able to show my face in front of you again if you said no.”

“You did take me to a wedding once. I guess I’m just going to have to start accepting grand gestures as the standard from you.” The comment is friendly, but Kise raises a lazy middle finger at it, not letting the hint of sarcasm go unnoticed. Kagami laughs then and shakes his head, but he still smiles fondly at the other man and reaches over, letting their fingers can tangle together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO UH  
> IT'S BEEN A WHILE  
> i've actually really missed these two and this fic, and i was waffling between this and another arc for a while, but nyc won out in the end. november is actually one of my busier months for school, so i can't guarantee an update soon, but thank you for your patience and support as always!! i have a few things i do plan to write for the nyc trip, but if you guys have any suggestions, i'd definitely take them into consideration. :') thanks again!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a long week in New York, Kise finds himself in dire need of relaxation, and Kagami is more than willing to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> or, as i like to call it, kise and kagami share a hotel room part two, and it's far less embarrassing this time

New York, as far as Kise had experienced, had given him very little time to slow down. He had overcome jetlag solely through drinking a (perhaps frightening) number of cups of coffee, and almost felt like he hadn't stopped moving since he got off the plane.

Good concealer existed for a reason, though, hiding the dark circles under his eyes with ease. 36 hours later and yet to crash during a post-show cocktail party, he remembers he came with a date, and swivels on his heel, spotting Kagami lingering near an empty table across the room.

"You never struck me to be much of a wallflower, Kagamicchi," he smiles, setting down his martini, chin resting in the palm of his hand. "And I know your English is better than mine. What gives?"

"You're not wrong," mutters Kagami, lips twitching upward in a nervous smile. "But I can't talk to any of these people, Kise. They're too damn pretty."

"Oh. So I'm less so." The comment is sarcastic, and dry, and influenced by just a little alcohol, but Kagami's first instinct is to throw up his hands in response.

"No! I know how to talk to you. These people—not so much. They're intimidating, and hot, and so are you, but, well, this is just…a lot." Kise purses his lips, but his eyes quickly crinkle with a smile.

"Don't worry, Kagamicchi, I'm just teasing. I know the feeling—brings back memories from when I started here and realized I didn't know what the hell I was doing. It's probably even weirder to someone who isn't in the business." He straightens up then, taking a quick step around the small table to place his hand on Kagami's back, rubbing at the top of his spine.

"You still had a fun time watching the show though, didn't you? I don’t think you get to sit off the side of a runway all that often. " Kagami cracks a grin, his arm easily sliding around Kise's waist in response.

"Yeah. I mean, it was a little..."

"You can say it was weird."

"It was a little weird. But it wasn't bad or anything." Kagami pauses for a moment, leaning his forehead against Kise's. "Might've got a little distracted trying to imagine you in some of the things they were wearing, but I hope that's forgivable." Kise laughs, letting his lips graze Kagami's cheek.

"Oh? Even in some of the dresses, too?"

"...Would it be bad if I did?"

"Not at all," Kise purrs, "I suppose I ought to show you my portfolio sometime, huh?"

***

"Kagamicchi, I'm the worst."

"You're _not_ the worst," laughs Kagami gently as he watches Kise flop onto his back, lying atop the duvet cover in mock defeat. "This is a business trip, after all. You're not going to be free all the time."

"I know, but...I _invited_ you, and I want to spend time with you! I only got to go out with you one night this week, and I feel awful for abandoning you all day long at work." He sits up on the corner of the bed with a sigh then, pouting a little at Kagami, who's squatting, packing some kind of plastic-bagged souvenir into his suitcase. "I'm sorry for leaving you to do all kinds of tourist stuff on your own." Kagami dismisses the comment with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I can get around fine with all the English I know. Though...it would have been nice to do that stuff with someone else, too." He smiles a little and stands up, walking over to cup Kise's cheek in his hand. "But, like I said, don't worry about it—you have all of tomorrow off, right?"

"Right." Kise exhales a small sigh, leaning into Kagami's palm. "Still doesn't mean I want to go drink under the guise of networking at this corporate party..."

"You should go," Kagami insists, pecking Kise on the cheek when he stands up, "You'll probably have fun."

"I don't want to have fun with random strangers," whines Kise softly, leaning his forehead onto Kagami's shoulder, arms sneaking around him. Kagami smiles, wrapping his arms around his waist in turn.

"You should go," he murmurs a second time, brushing a kiss over Kise's hair. The blond is quiet for a moment, squeezing Kagami just a little tighter.

"...You're terrible, you know that?"

"What?" Kagami blinks, innocent. "You can leave my arms any time you want. You have free will." Kise doesn't accept this, though, and he narrows his eyes, focusing on the grin just barely hidden on Kagami's lips.

"You are _so_ planning something. You're terrible."

"I'm not planning anything!" Kagami protests, but he struggles to keep his smile back, squeezing Kise with a little more firmness.

"Yeah, yeah. But we can't go out, you know. My boss is on this floor, too, and she'll kill me if she sees me skipping out."

"That's fine. We can still entertain ourselves here. Get some room service, find a nice movie on demand, put that ridiculously nice jacuzzi in the bathroom to good use..." muses Kagami, trailing off as he leans in to press a kiss to Kise's neck, and the blond finds his eyes closing, relaxing all too easily in his arms.

"You really are an awful influence," he murmurs, almost to himself before straightening up a little, eyes fluttering open just enough so he can find and kiss Kagami's lips, looping his arms around his neck. He kisses him slowly and softly, Kagami matching his speed, his fingers pressing just a little more at his waist, and the warmth that fills Kise makes it all the more difficult to pull away, even if it's just a fraction.

"You call up a bottle of wine while I get the bath ready, okay?" Kagami makes a faint noise in protest, lips closing on Kise's again, but the kiss is chaste, and ends quickly enough.

"Sounds good," he agrees, hands lingering on Kise's waist for a moment longer before he withdraws. Kise winks, then twists towards the bathroom, seeking out his destination.

For Kise, it's almost embarrassing, being in a suite as nice this one, with its king-sized bed and the way the bathroom is adorned with creamy tile. Almost. He didn't exactly think he deserved treatment like this, but, then again, he did boss an impressive amount of people around at 26. 

And if his company could afford it, hey, why complain?

Water rushes forth with a twist of the knob on the side of the tub, Kise holding his fingers under the stream and plugging up the drain when it's hot enough for his liking. Wiping his foundation and eyeliner off, he keeps on an eye on the water level in the mirror as it rises with a melodic sputter, turning back to shut it off when it reaches an acceptable level. Kagami appears in the periphery of his vision then, and he stands with a smile, moving gracefully to peck him on the lips.

"Wine should be here in a few minutes," reports Kagami casually, toying the top button of Kise's shirt between his fingers, "May I?"

"Of course," Kise smiles, watching Kagami through half-lidded eyes as he bides his time, gingerly working the loop out of his belt when his hands reach his waist. He leans in a little closer then, kissing again at Kise's lips.

"I suppose I should tell you that I don't have much of an ulterior motive in keeping you here," he admits, lifting his eyes to Kise's, "Might be disappointing, but I'm not really in the mood for sex tonight."

"He tells me, his hands dangerously close to my crotch," mutters Kise as his lips curl into a smug grin, and Kagami laughs in response.

"Well, if someone gets excited, I wouldn't mind taking care of it, but other than that, you're going to have to lower your expectations if you want me to do much else."

"That's fine," smiles Kise, his hand curling around the back of Kagami's neck, "I can't say I want to put all too much effort into tonight, either."

"Good. It's your vacation too, after all." He unzips Kise’s slacks methodically, then his hands move back to his shirt, pulling it down to his shoulders, and off his arms. "Do you want this on a hanger, or...?"

"Mm-mm." Kise shakes his head, stepping out of his trousers. "No need—the floor will work just fine." His belt buckle clatters noisely against the tile, the fabrics making a softer noise just after. Kagami's hands return to his waist, brushing at the hem of his undershirt, but a series of sudden knocks at the door startles the both of them. They both laugh, awkwardly for a second, and Kagami pulls away, exiting into the other room.

There's a brief conversation in English that Kise doesn't bother trying to comprehend, distracted as he pulls his shirt and boxers off. But the door closes quickly after, silence filling the room only to interrupted with the soft pop of a cork, and Kagami strides back into the bathroom with two glasses of wine, blinking when he sees Kise sitting naked on the edge the tub.

"Oh. You didn't have to wait, you know."

“It’s fine,” smiles Kise as he takes the glasses from Kagami, freeing up his hands so he can undress, “I’m making you get in first, anyways.”

“Oh?” Kagami raises a brow, stepping out of his shorts, then his boxers. “Any particular reason?”

“So I can cuddle up with you when I get in, of course,” Kise explains, eyeing the level of wine in his glass before taking a sip. “Wow. You really didn’t hold back.”

“It’s covered by your company, isn’t it?” Kagami grins, dropping his shirt to the floor, “And if it isn’t, well, it’s still worth it.” Taking his glass back from Kise, he steps into the tub, the water rising to the middle of his chest as he sits back. Then, he gestures at the empty space between his knees.

“Come on in—the water’s still warm.”

"Extending an invitation? How cordial," Kise smiles as he slips into the water, finally relaxing against Kagami with a contented sigh. Kagami sets his glass on the side of the tub, then wraps his arms around Kise, kissing at the back of his neck as he holds him close.

"This was a good idea," murmurs Kise lazily, his eyelids drifting closed, and Kagami hums another kiss into his neck in agreement.

"You look comfortable," he notes, almost teasing. Kise nods, head lolling back onto his shoulder.

"I am, thanks to you." He lifts his head for a second to get a sip of wine, then places his glass down, exhaling deeply again.

"Wow. I didn't even notice how much this week took out of me."

"Yeah? It seems like it's been pretty stressful at times. Maybe you were so busy you just ended up forgetting about it."

"I _would_ do something like that," Kise intones, rolling his eyes with a smile. "Still, thanks for making me stay in. I appreciate it, Kagamicchi."

"I wanted to be a little selfish," shrugs Kagami as he swallows down some wine, Kise's fingers tangling with those of his free hand, "It's no big deal."

"Still..." He insists, but gives it up soon enough, his gaze drifting down to the splotches of stylized watercolor tattooed on Kagami's forearm. He gazes at it for a moment, relaxing into the warmth of Kagami’s chest, then twists a little to look at him, cuddling into the crook of his arm.

"Why a tiger? If you don't mind me asking."

"Oh, the tattoo?" Kagami laughs softly then, pulling Kise close. "Well, kids here used to call me ‘Tiger’ all the time, but that's not really why. That piece was finished...just about a year ago, I think? I don't know. Japan finally started to feel like home just recently, so I wanted to get something to celebrate. And that image kept coming to me, so it's what I went with."

"Huh." Kise purses his lips for a moment as he lingers on the tattoo. Then, he sits up, moving to his knees. "There aren't any that I've missed, are there?"

"Not that I know of," grins Kagami, "But you're free to double-check, if you want." Kise's lip curls upward in response, and his hands go to Kagami's knees, pushing them down so he can straddle him. Shivering as he rises out of the water, he presses close to Kagami's chest, hands cupping his cheeks. The water has started to cool around them, but Kagami's lips are still warm when Kise kisses him, and the palms that grope his ass seconds later make him make a small noise into the heat of his mouth.

"I thought you weren't in the mood for that, Kagamicchi," Kise muses aloud, nipping at his lower lip, and Kagami flashes his teeth.

"Either way, I still like touching you," he murmurs low in response, lifting a hand to push Kise's hair off his forehead. The blond purses his lips in a smile, wrapping his arms around his neck, amused at the mischievous spark in his eye.

"I'm glad you do." He kisses him another time, slowly now, working his tongue into his mouth. Kagami's hands go still in his backside, and Kise feels him relax underneath him with the deepening of the kiss. Still, he finds himself shivering again, and he sighs, reluctantly dropping away.

"Ugh, I filled up the bath way too early—it's too cold. You won't mind if I get out, will you?" Kagami shakes his head.

"I was thinking of doing the same, so by all means, go ahead." Kise climbs out then, hugging himself as he walks over to the counter to grab a towel, wrapping it around him. Kagami pulls the stopper out the drain, then follows after Kise to towel off.

"...I like that idea," Kise says after a moment, "For your tattoo, that is. It seems like such a you kind of thing to do."

"Oh?” Kagami narrows his eyes a little, though he’s still smiling. “Are you saying I'm predictable?"

"No, not really," laughs Kise with a shake of his head, wrapping his towel around his waist. "It's just like...you remember to take stock of things in life," he explains, walking over to the tub to grab their wine glasses, "I like that about you." Kagami shrugs, scratching at his hair a little sheepishly.

"Yeah, well...it's just a tattoo, at the end of the day."

"Sure," Kise winks, pecking him on the cheek as he hands him his wine back, "But it doesn't have to be." He walks into the bedroom then, humming as he scans the room service menu. Kagami comes up from behind, wrapping an arm around his waist, and Kise huffs out a sigh, leaning into his shoulder.

“American food is all so heavy…you’ll order something I’ll want to eat, won’t you?” Kagami grins at his gentle whine, indulging him as he leans in for a kiss.

“Of course, Kise. I wouldn’t settle for anything less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [dio brando voice] You thought it was smut, but it was just a calming evening!
> 
> i love to write these two just enjoying each other's company. and i hope this isn't ramping things up too much, but next chapter is what gave me the inspiration for this fic, so i hope you guys will enjoy that, whenever it comes along. thanks for sticking with me and these two so far, and if i don't get to update in the next few weeks, i hope you guys all have lovely holidays and a happy new year!! :")


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's their last night in New York, and Kise wants it to be unforgettable.

“So, we’ve done the Empire State Building, Times Square, Central Park, lunch…” Kagami lists the items off on his fingers as they walk down the street towards their hotel, his brow wrinkling a little when they reach a crosswalk. “I can’t think of many other big things to do, unless you’re a Beatles fan. I’ve never been that fond of musicals, and you might not be able to understand much, either, so Broadway’s a bust…I guess we could always just go walk around some more, lay low until our dinner reservation comes around?”

“We could do that,” muses Kise, holding his chin as if he’s thinking, “But I was wondering, Kagami—and I know you made that reservation when we first got here—would you be willing to cancel dinner, if I had something else in mind?”

“I dunno, the restaurant’s pretty nice.” Kagami scratches at the back of his head. “But I’ll hear you out first.”

"Well...I'm sure you know how the Lakers had a great season this year...as did an underdog team from New York...and they both happen to be in the finals..." Kagami grins, laughing through his teeth.

"Nuh-uh, I'm calling bullshit. I mean, the final match is still a few days away, but there is no way you got tickets. No way."

"I don't know, Kagamicchi, a little optimism never hurt anyone~" There's a sing-song of a lilt in Kise's voice, and he winks at Kagami, whose face drops a little, eyes widening.

"I mean, there's no way you could have gotten tickets, right?" He asks, slightly panicked.

"Not through conventional means, obviously. Buuut someone somewhere might have owed me a favor, and I might have taken advantage of that." He hums a little, and Kagami stops in the middle of the sidewalk to stare at him.

"You're kidding me," he mutters, shaking his head, "There's no way."

"I mean, it's not like I'm trying to spoil you--I like to watch my fair share of NBA games, you know--though it's not like I didn't have you in mind when I started trying to get tickets." Kise's smile is a little mischievous. "I know you won't believe me until you see them, and it's not like they're courtside--god knows I'm not that special--but I do have tickets. So, y'know. We could go."

“Holy shit.” Kagami gapes at him, raising his eyebrows, shrugging wordlessly, and Kise laughs, taking his arm to pull him along.

“It’s not too much of a shock, is it? I wasn’t really sure how to tell you, but I knew I couldn’t tell you right when we left, that would barely count as a surprise, y’know?”

“Still pretty surprised,” manages Kagami, breathing out a laugh, shaking his head again in disbelief. “But it's not like I'm gonna say no.”

***

At halftime, Kagami gets up to buy two more beers, though he's still tempted to pinch himself as he walks around Madison Square Garden. It's not his team's home court, but that's no matter--being in such a famed venue makes up for it by far. He's rolled up his sleeves to show off his tattoo, which earns him a few jibes from some Knicks fans in line, considering their team is ahead by a few baskets, but with only having packed a Lakers snapback by chance, he needs to show off all the pride he can.

"Ah! Thank you, Kagamicchi," sings Kise when he makes his way back to their seats, taking one of the plastic cups out of his hands.

"No problem." Kagami sinks down in his seat, sliding his arm around his shoulders. "I'm kinda scared to ask how much you had to pay for these seats, so covering beer and food is the least I can do to thank you."

"Just know that it's worth it. The second tier has a much nicer view than I expected," Kagami nods in agreement, his eyes wandering to the TV screens above the court, and what he see makes him wheeze, nearly choking on his beer.

"Are you okay, Kagamicchi?" Kise asks, his eyes widening with concern, and Kagami coughs, managing to swallow.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just surprised that they still do stuff like that, is all." He cracks a grin, nodding in the TV's direction. Kise's gaze follows, watching the hearts floating around the screen as it pans over the crowd, and his brow furrows.

"I'm sorry, Kagamicchi, but I don't think I understand."

"Well, my dad was really into baseball, so he'd take me to pro games when I was a kid," he explains, "And they'd do a similar thing. Basically, if the camera lands on you, you're supposed to kiss whoever you're with. It's a couple thing, I guess."

"Huh. That's kinda cute." Kise grins suddenly, his eyes shining. "Hey, maybe we could get on it!"

"Well, you usually have to wait for the camera before you start, and Americans aren't too open about guys kissing, so--"

"We could always just...start kissing and see what happens?" Kise raises an eyebrow, plucking Kagami's hat from his head and placing it on his own. "How does that sound, hm?" Kagami blinks.

"I mean, yeah, we could always do that," he says with a breathless laugh, the words coming out a little quickly as he scratches at the back of his neck. Feeling his face heat, his hands move to cup Kise's cheeks, and he lowers his eyelids, leaning in.

"Don't mess up my foundation, Kagamicchi," teases Kise, and Kagami smiles.

"Oh, you'll be fine. You want me to just...?"

"Whenever you're ready," Kise smiles sweetly as he closes his eyes, lips parting in anticipation. Kagami swallows, finding his mouth suddenly dry. He licks his lips, exhaling softly, then moves in, thumb trailing over Kise's cheek as they kiss. It's quiet and careful, yet deliberately drawn out. Kise raises a hand, fingers clasping around Kagami's necklace through his fabric of his shirt, then letting go, drawing his fingernail up and down the same three inches of Kagami's chest until they separate.

"Did you see anything?" Kise asks a little breathlessly, and the corner of Kagami's lip twitches up in response.

"I forgot to look." His eyes are still half-lidded as he smiles at Kise, who laughs softly, dropping his forehead to his shoulder.

"Well, the kiss was still nice." Kagami hums in agreement, and Kise lifts his head, shifting back to pull his phone out of his pocket. "C'mere, you." He makes a peace sign at the camera, and Kagami grins, only to lean in after the shutter clicks, kissing Kise's cheek for a few pictures more.

"Cute," smiles Kise as he looks back through his gallery, bangs falling in his eyes again when Kagami steals his hat back.

"Mm, you are." He pecks a kiss at Kise's temple, sliding his arm around his shoulders again. "Can you send one of those pictures to me? I've been needing to change my profile pic for a while now..."

"Ooh, Facebook-official, huh? I like the sound of that."

"I mean...that's okay, isn't it? I'd like to call you my boyfriend, but if you're not comfortable with that, it's--"

"It's _fine_ , Kagamicchi." Kise smiles, feeling Kagami relax again as he squeezes his knee. "I don't think I could take you on a week-long vacation and not let you call me that. But I'm not just _letting_ you, you know? I know we haven't been together that long, but I can't deny it--I've been thinking of you as my boyfriend for a few weeks now."

"Yeah," Kagami grins, "Me too."

***

The night is warm, just bordering on muggy, and a passing thought has Kise worrying about the sheer white cotton of his shirt being stained by sweat. But there's something comforting in how the stickiness keeps his fingers locked so close with Kagami's, so he pays it no mind.

"So--"

"I--" 

They look at each other, their laughter stilted. Kagami gives him a nod.

"You go first."

"Well, I _was_ going to ask if you still enjoyed the game despite your team losing, but I probably know the answer to that, huh?"

"Hey, they still have a few more games left!" Kagami grins. "But yeah, it was incredible--I honestly can't thank you enough for tonight, Kise. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you." Kise waves his hand.

"Kagamicchi, I said it was for me, too, remember? You don't owe me a thing."

"It's not just tonight, though. This was an incredible way to end this trip, no doubt, but this whole week, Kise--it's been amazing. You were working a lot, but grabbing coffee together in the mornings, me waking up whenever you'd fall into bed in the middle of the night...I enjoyed even those small moments. It's been so much fun, and I can't thank you enough...and I can't wait to do this again."

"Careful, Kagamicchi," teases Kise, "It almost sounds like you're falling in love with me." Kagami purses his lips for a moment, then finally shrugs, smiling.

"Can you even fall in love with someone that fast?" Kise asks, raising an eyebrow as his hand falls away from Kagami's. "I mean, I don't think we've even known each other for three months."

"Isn't falling in love the whole point of dating someone? If it is, I don't think time should even matter all that much."

"But it's only been..." Kise trails off, stopping to watch Kagami's back.

"Aren't you going to tell me, then? If you're in love with me, or not?" Kagami turns around then, grinning almost in challenge.

"Do you really want to know the answer?" Kise pauses, then inhales, his lips parting. But Kagami makes a noise like a buzzer, blaring over his answer.

"Oops, time's up! Try not to hesitate so much next time." He cackles, turning on his heel, and Kise's jaw drops, this time in mock offense.

"You didn't even listen to what I said," he huffs, but all he gets in response is more laughter. He rolls his eyes and catches up to Kagami in a few strides, smiling as he snatches his hat again.

"Goodness, Kagamicchi. I just don't know what to do with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >writes about a basketball game  
> >talks about everything except basketball
> 
> long time no see OTL but we're here!! as you might have noticed, the murahimu changed to nijihimu in the tags...i have a few more ideas for his character, and just feel like i can write him better, too. you can bop on back to chapter 5 to check out what i fixed, and ill see you guys back in japan next time~ 
> 
> thanks so much for reading!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kise struggles to find his rhythm again when he returns to Tokyo, and a surprise visit from Kagami's family does little to calm his nerves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO!!! it has been...seven months since i last updated this fic lmao. if anyone reads this fic in one go, i'd like to apologize for any writing style whiplash you have felt/might feel again in the future. i've been thinking about these boys quite a lot though, so i'm very happy to update again!

When Kise returns from New York, life seems to move a little too slowly. He’s been freed from the responsibilities of his project, now that it’s over, and finds himself wandering a little—helping direct a photoshoot one day, then finding administrative work at the office to keep him busy the next. Some days seem to drag on, bogged down by the increasingly muggy humidity of summer, but he struggles to relax back into his old routine. He has to remind himself that work won’t be as much as a hurdle as it has been for the past few months, that he can get through the day on one cup of coffee, as opposed to two or three.

His refusal to relax makes him a little impulsive—buying that second coffee anyways, chopping off his nearly shoulder-length hair much shorter, exposing the back of his neck. It’s not as radical as some changes go, but it still makes him stop whenever he passes a mirror, touching the ends with his fingertips, his head lighter than before.

There’s still a nervous jitter in his bones, but tonight it’s a little more justified, having received a call from Kagami saying that his family would be in town that evening. The fact that they’re not his blood family has done little to calm his nerves—the mention of blood family always resulted in Kagami clenching his jaw and changing the topic, and he rarely pressed further.

Which has now lead him to rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet in front of the bar, fiddling with the cuffs of his denim shirt, and ultimately, not quite sure what to expect.

“You can come in, you know,” Kagami’s voice comes to his ears first, followed the sound of the door closing. He stands a few feet away from Kise, bar towel slung over the shoulder of his wrinkled plaid shirt, “Just a suggestion.”

“They’re your _family_ , Kagamicchi. I know you’d be nervous if you were meeting my parents,” Kise pouts as he walks up to him, running his fingers over the inside of his palm in a brief moment of intimacy, “Besides, you closed for tonight just to have them over. I figured the door was locked.”

“Fair enough,” Kagami grins, “But it’s just my brother and his husband right now. They’re a lot less intimidating than you might expect them to be.”

Kise’s brows furrow, skeptical. But Kagami still manages to wave him towards the door, palm on his back as he ushers him inside. Two dark-haired men look up from a circular table in the center of the floor—the others around them have their chairs flipped up onto their tops, legs standing stoic in the air—and Kise swears one of them looks familiar.

“Kise, this is my brother, Tatsuya,” Kagami motions at the pale one with his hair pulled back, and then, to his partner, taking a pull from a sweaty beer bottle, “And his husband, Sh--”

“Ni...jimuracchi?”

Nijimura recognized Kise the moment he walked in. His lips were already on his beer, and he had tried to play it cool, taking a moment to process it all. But then Kise had to go and recognize him, too, and then, with the curious lift of Himuro’s smile, with Kagami stalling to process it all, he can’t help but choke, swallowing hard to get the beer down.

“Kise,” He coughs into his first, grin shining out from behind, “Been a while.”

“No kidding,” Kise brightens with a laugh, rushing over to greet him as he stands. “It’s been years!” Despite Kise having a few inches on him, Nijimura still gives him a half hug, pulling him down to ruffle his hair. He catches Kagami’s eye, starts to see the gears shifting behind them.

“Kise and I played basketball together in middle school, before I moved stateside,” Nijimura explains as he releases Kise, and throws an arm back around Himuro’s shoulders, happy to watch the confusion on Kagami’s face clear, “So don’t be making any assumptions, Taiga.”

“Well,” Nijimura mentally curses in the seconds between Kise’s words, rolling his eyes as he sits opposite him, “There was that time where we dated for a little while.”

“For all of two weeks,” Nijimura exhales, mercifully avoiding Kagami’s gaze, then shoots a glare at Himuro, whose raised eyebrows can hardly contain his amusement as he sips at his mojito, “You and your delinquent phase.”

“Hey, you were reformed!”

“Yeah,” Nijimura snorts, “And what did that make Haizaki?” 

Kise opens his mouth, then closes it, searching for the right words.

“I had a thing for danger, what can I say?” He finally recovers a second later, expression souring when fingers cannot find hair long enough to flip, “Is that so bad?”

“The wimpiest kid in school had no interest in him, so he was really trying to get his attention,” Nijimura’s hand hides his lips from Kise’s view as he relays the story to Kagami, grinning when Kise scoffs, still more than able to hear his words.

“Either way, it didn’t work out, and I’m married now, so it’s nothing you have to worry about.”

“Well,” Kagami finally grins again, “That hasn’t stopped him before.”

Kise gasps, “Rude!” Kagami laughs, and he leans in, placing kisses against Kise’s cheek despite his best attempts to resist them.

“I apologize for interrupting, “ Himuro begins, setting his glass down on the table. The grey of his eyes looks cold, but he offers Kise a warm smile, “But I’m afraid I’m the only one here who doesn’t have firsthand familiarity with you.”

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry—” Kise gushes, “Should I call you…?” Kagami’s brother is pretty, nearly intimidatingly so with his porcelain skin and the beauty mark dotting the corner of his eye. Kagami gets up, giving his shoulder a squeeze before heading to the bar, and Kise gives him a frantic glance that only the back of his head receives.

“Himuro,” The corners of his eyes crinkle as he reaches to shake Kise’s hand. His hands, Kise notes, are a fraction rougher than he expected, but there’s a firmness in his grip that feels more friendly, and Kise is inwardly thankful that he doesn’t have to worry about him stealing Kagami away.

“Himuro,” Kise affirms with a smile, feeling himself relax back into his chair, “I’ve heard a lot about you—all good things, of course.”

“I should hope so,” Himuro’s eyes flash to Kagami, busy pouring a pint at the tap, “Taiga’s manners have really improved since we first met—all I hear him complain about is the weather when he comes to visit.”

“As any reasonable person would,” Kagami snorts, “You lived in L.A. longer than I did—I still think you’re out of your mind, moving somewhere that gets so damn _cold._ ”

Himuro can only smile, raising his shoulders in a small shrug. They fall into a polite conversation about work, and Kagami flips one of the TVs on, setting the Giants game to play at low volume. He returns to the table with two pints and another cocktail for Himuro in hand. Save for the sound of a motorcycle ripping down the street outside, the bar is quiet, Kagami’s arm resting on the back of Kise’s chair.

The door banging open is the first noise to interrupt them, followed by a woman’s voice, which is just as loud. She’s talking—well, more like shouting—in English, words that Kise can’t quite grasp except for a curse or two, and he’s not quite if the content or the volume is what makes the men around him share a grimace. But they quickly recover with a few laughs, and Kise turns around in his chair, only to sit up a little straighter when facing a blond woman just a few feet away from him. 

She holds a commanding presence, and her athletic build is visible through her slim t-shirt and skinny jeans. Pink frames glinting under the restaurant light, she approaches Kagami, still loud but maybe a little more cordial, judging from her smile. He attempts to wave her off, but she still plants a kiss on the side of his head, ruffling his hair when she pulls away. She makes her way around the table, kissing Himuro’s cheek, then sharing a mutual look of disgust with Nijimura before they dissolve into laughter. Kise raises his eyebrows, but it seems sisterly above all else, which makes him smile.

“So much affection,” He laughs, raising his beer as he looks at Kagami, “I hope I don’t get left out.”

“Well, if you’re that enthusiastic, you’d don’t have to be!” The woman’s eyes flash to him with a grin, her forearms resting on the table between Nijimura and Himuro, “From the way Taiga talks about you, I might as well consider you family.”

“Alex!” Kagami balks, cheeks coloring as his sight jumps to his boyfriend, “Kise!”

“I—I thought she only spoke English!” Kise hurries to explain, feeling his own cheeks flush, “I didn’t mean—”

“Ah, no harm done,” She waves a hand—Kise notices both the wedding band and the engagement ring—and stands up from the table, walking to slip her arm around the waist of a shorter woman, “Family’s fine, but I don’t want this one to get jealous.”

Kise hadn’t noticed her before—she must have walked in from behind—but part of him wishes he did. Her dark hair is down in subtle waves, matching the color of her floor-length, slim-yet-modest dress. The outfit is accented with hints of gold at her neck and ears, and there are flashes of color on her skin, tattoos flowering on her forearm and chest, peeking out from the cut of her dress. She eyes Kise with a mild skepticism, and he shrinks back in his chair.

“Wow,” Nijimura raises his eyebrows, whistling low, “You look nice, Masako. Didn’t think this was that much of an occasion.”

“It’s not,” She tells him with a small smile, sitting down between Himuro and Kagami when Alex retrieves a chair for her, “Someone took me out to dinner first.”

“I wanted to change into something more casual, hence the lateness,” Alex explains with a flip of her hair, taking a seat beside Kise, “You don’t mind me sitting here, do you?”

“As long as I don’t embarrass myself again, we should be good,” Kise laughs, watching the diamonds sparkle on her finger, “Though I can’t guarantee it’ll go that smoothly. Right, Kagamicchi?”

“It’s only your first impression,” Kagami snorts, getting up and heading over to the bar. Masako follows, taking his arm away from the tap to chastise him quietly about tattoo care. He hangs his head, but still smiles, humble, and Kise can’t help issue a contented sigh. The eyes around the table go to him, teasing when he gives them a helpless shrug in return.

Kagami comes back to the table with a dark beer for Alex, and for Masako, water. He settles back down next to Kise, picking his own bottle up again.

“So, what brings you two down here?” He asks, taking a pull from his beer, “It’s nice to see you and all, but I’m pretty sure Alex said she and Masako were going to come visit after a few days in Tokyo. No need to come down and spend money on the train if that’s the case, right?”

“Well,” Himuro begins, combing through his small ponytail, “Of course we wanted to see them. But we wanted to come down to talk to you, too.”

“Tatsuya and I have decided to move back to the States,” Nijimura stares at the wet ring his beer left at the table, eyes flicking up to Kagami a beat later, “We’ve been in talks with a realtor, and we’re still solidifying everything on the California side. But if everything goes smoothly, we hope to be out within a year.”

“I—” Kagami laughs and shakes his head, incredulous, “Are you serious? Why?”

“Unfortunately, there are a few reasons,” Himuro tells him with a sad smile, “Shuu’s coaching job at the university is going great—great enough that he’s gotten a few offers for positions back in Cali, and—”  
“So you’re going back for money?”

“It’s a perk, but it’s not the main reason. I know things won’t always be rosy back in America,” Himuro continues, “But at least our marriage is still respected by the law there. Shuu and I want to build a life together. We need to know that we won’t be fired from our jobs because we’re married. We want to be sure we can visit each other in the hospital if something ever happens, maybe even have kids soon. 

He sighs softly, face falling “We can’t live as openly as we want to, and it’s wearing us down.”

Kagami is quiet for a moment, his eyes flicking between Nijimura and Himuro, then Alex and Masako. “You two know about this?”

“Tatsuya sent a few emails asking what the housing market looked like in L.A., but that’s not my field, so I couldn’t say too much,” Alex explains, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, “I had a feeling they were considering moving, but this is the first I’ve heard on the reasons behind it.”

“Great,” Kagami huffs, “So you guys are leaving me again.”

“Taiga, you know it’s not like that,” Nijimura sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, “You’re important to us, and you know Japan feels like home. But as much as we’d like to stay, it still doesn’t feel like the right fit. We’re just trying to do what’s best for us.”

Kise swallows, his eyes fixed on the table in front of him. This is foreign for him, feeling like an outsider when he’s usually so talkative. But he’s just met these people—this isn’t his place to speak up. He ventures a concerned glance at Kagami, laying a hand on his knee underneath the table.

“Fine,” Kagami spits, knocking Kise’s hand away as he pushes back from the table, “It’s not like I can stop you.” He storms off into the kitchen, Kise watching his back recede through the door’s circular window as it flaps to a close.

“Sorry about that,” Nijimura raises his eyebrows a moment later, taking another drink from his beer, “Not the greatest first impression on our part, huh?”

“No, it’s…” Kise trails off, excusing himself from the table. He heads to the kitchen, stepping inside with as much quiet as the door can allow, and his gaze lands on Kagami, leaning back against the stainless steel refrigerator. Kagami straightens up when he sees him, wiping at his eyes with the heel of his palm.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have invited you tonight,” He apologizes with a weak laugh, “I should’ve realized that they wanted to talk about something important, with all of them coming here.”

“Hey, no, don’t apologize,” Kise takes a few steps forward, “There’s no way you could’ve known this would happen. Sure, it’s been a little awkward for me, but I can tell your family is important to you. You wanted to introduce me to them, and I appreciate that—I really do.”

Kagami nods along with his words, “Yeah, I...I just thought it would be a nicer night. As for why it isn’t, the blame for that probably lies on me. I know they’re adults. They can make their own decisions, and I should do my best to respect them.” 

“And I will, once I get some time to step back from myself,” Kagami continues, “But don’t talk to me like I don’t know how hard it is to be gay here, y’know? Like, I’m not married, but my boyfriend is right here, and you’re telling me how shitty our lives might look like if we get serious? I’m not sure what pisses me off more.”

“Well, you all seem close enough that telling them that shouldn’t be much of a problem,” Kise offers, a touch of optimism in his voice, “And maybe you won’t resolve it tonight, or tomorrow, but at least the evening could end on a more positive note, right?”

“Yeah,” Kagami concedes with a sigh, “It could.”

“As for the problems they talked about...I’m pretty thankful that all we’ve had to deal with so far is just me thinking I might be in love with someone else.” Kise offers Kagami a small smile, making him laugh and shake his head.

“That, and your apparent storied past. Is it weird that teenage me might be just a little jealous?”

“Um, yes, definitely. I’d be way too embarrassed to date you if you ever knew me as a teenager.”

“That’s fair,” Kagami grins, “Can’t say I feel any different.”

“So,” Kise claps his hands down on Kagami’s shoulders, “You’re going to go back into that room and tell your family how you feel.”

Kagami makes a face, eking out a nervous laugh, “You’re so confident in me.”

“You’re going to tell them how you feel, and you’re going to respect that they are adults that can make their own decisions, even if it hurts you,” Kise continues, “But you’re going to tell them why it hurts, and they might be able to understand.”

“Yeah,” Kagami exhales a little shakily, “Okay. I’ll try my best.”

“And even if it gets a little rocky,” Kise smiles, his hands sliding around to the back of Kagami’s neck, “You’ll still have me in your corner.”

“Right,” Kagami finally smiles, leaning in to kiss Kise, “I do.”

“Hey, before we go back out there,” Kagami starts after a moment, “I don’t know if I told you or not, but your hair, it—” He lifts a hand, coming through the strands at the top of Kise’s neck, “It looks good on you.”

Kise smiles, waiting until Kagami cups his cheek to lean into his touch, “Thank you. But I have one last thing to say to you, too.”

“Your family seems really lovely, and I’m sure you’ll be able to work this out, so you’ll probably be okay with going home alone tonight,” Kise kisses him gently, pausing when he feels Kagami’s hands on his waist, “But even if that’s the case, I still want to keep you company.”

“Well, I’ve never been a fan of being alone,” Kagami kisses him back, nuzzling his cheek, “And when it comes to you, I can never say no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my high school transfer student alex/yanki masako prequel coming...well, maybe never considering my track record with this fic lol
> 
> thanks so much for reading and sticking around!! i really appreciate it, and i hope you look forward to the next update!


	11. Chapter 11

Kise has never been fond of the heat and humidity that accompany the depths of summer. Sure, he gets to play around with the lighter colors and fabrics in his wardrobe, but he misses the extra touches that come with a scarf, or a cardigan. Sometimes he ventures out on the weekends in a shorter pair of shorts, hoping to abate the warmer weather, but then there are muttered comments and prolonged stares, the awkward laughs of teenagers across the street as he goes about his errands. In short, it’s rare that he finds himself feeling entirely comfortable. The muggy air weighs heavy in his lungs during his morning runs, and he watches the temperature tick up with dread, aching for a sign of autumn to appear.

The presence of rain, however makes summer a little more bearable. Fat drops splashing against sweat-dampened skin, drumming steady against windowpanes, an extra excuse to relax underneath air-conditioned ceilings. Kise exploits this kind of weather the best he can, and on the third day of continuous pouring in the beginning of July, he sits with his back against the arm of the sofa in his apartment, clothed only in a thin sweater and a pair of briefs, bare feet tucked under the warmth of Kagami’s thighs. A mid-2000s romcom plays muted on the TV, the actors’ faces washed out from the pale gray afternoon.

“Hey,” Kise leans forward, plucking a block of tofu from Kagami’s bowl and popping it into his mouth, “Remember when I said you being a bottom was unfortunate, or something like that?”

Kagami raises an eyebrow, exhaling a soft laugh. “I guess?” He grabs Kise’s empty bowl, dishing another helping of cold soba and vegetables into it from the sieve on the coffee table. “Didn’t think it really mattered.”

“Well,” Kise takes his bowl back with a flourish, chopsticks in hand, “I think I might have changed my mind.”

“Oh?” Kagami grins, entertained, “Is that so?”

Kise gives him a sage nod, broccoli tree puffing out his cheek, “It is. Only if you’re comfortable with it, of course.”

“Sure, we can try it,” Kagami slurps up the last of the noodles in his bowl, standing up from the couch with a stretch. “What caused the change of heart?”

“I dunno. I was thinking about it the other day, and now that I know you better, I was like, shit, that could have been kind of hurtful, you know?”

Kagami frowns, offering a mild shrug. “Well, we still ended up dating, so it must not have been that bad.” He points at the tray on the table. “You done?”

“I guess so,” Kise nods, sighing softly, “I figured I should at least apologize, though.”

“Well,” Kagami leans down, leftovers in hand as he kisses Kise’s forehead, “Thank you for taking my feelings into consideration.”

“Besides,” Kise hums, eyes narrowing with a mischievous grin, “I figured it’d be kinda hot, too.”

“Of course,” Kagami straightens with a grin, rolling his eyes and stepping towards the kitchen, “Love you.”

“Hey,” Kise blinks a moment later, watching Kagami’s back as he searches for Tupperware in the kitchen cabinet, “You said it.”

Kagami twists back to him with eyebrows arching innocently, plastic container in hand, “It?”

“You know,” Kise insists, eyes wide, “ _It_.”

“Oh.” Kagami gives him a sheepish look. “Guess I finally let it slip, huh.”

“Well, no need to be so casual about it,” Kise huffs out a short breath, “It’s a big deal, Kagamicchi!”

“I mean—is it though? It’s not like I’ve done a good job being subtle about it.”

“Not really, but…”

“Would you rather I said it a month ago in New York?” Kagami lets out a small, somewhat exasperated laugh. He leans forward, resting his forearms on the countertop.

“Listen, Kise,” He points a finger at the TV, “I love you when you’re stressed out from work and stay up late because you had to get a coffee at three in the afternoon. I love you when I see you’ve bought me my own toothbrush to keep in your apartment. I love you when you’re sitting on the couch in a sweater and underwear, no eyeliner, no foundation on—just you. It’d be nice to have some kind of grand gesture, sure, but no matter what kind of day you have, whether it’s exciting or boring, in New York or L.A. or Japan, I’m still going to love you. There’s just no reason to keep holding it back.”

“Unless it’s still too early,” He amends a second later, hands raised apologetically “I don’t have to say it if it scares you to hear it.”

“No, it’s—” Kise pauses with a sniff, exhaling shakily with a smile, “I love you, too.”

“Okay. Cool.” Kagami pauses with a laugh, running his fingers through his hair, “Shit. Now it kind of feels like a big deal.”

Kise gives him a knowing look, then lets his gaze drift back to the screen, finishing up the rest of his lunch as the actors appear to make their way through some kind of confession of their own. He’d always been a sap for scenes like these, female lead rosy-cheeked and teary-eyed, her boyfriend out of breath and on one knee. But the rain patters softly on the windows behind him, and as he glances back to Kagami shelving the leftovers in the fridge, he feels his chest swell more than such scenes ever could.

He reaches for the remote, TV going dark with a small click. Kagami comes back with another bowl, this one full of the pinks, browns, and greens of homemade mochi ice cream, and sits back down, scooting closer to Kise. Kise deposits his empty bowl on the coffee table, then sits up, swinging a leg over Kagami’s lap. He sits back on his heels, letting his forearms settle atop Kagami’s shoulders, hands clasping together loosely at the back of his neck.

“Say it again, won’t you?”

“I love you,” Kagami murmurs, lifting a hand to tilt his chin down, lips brushing against Kise’s, “I’m in love with you.” Kise shivers, sighing into his mouth.

“I love you too,” He responds, hands sliding to cup Kagami’s cheeks, his voice light. “I’m in love with you, too.” He leans his forehead against Kagami’s, grinning.

“Holy shit,” He breathes out a laugh, crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes, “I can’t believe I’m in love with you.”

“Well, if you’re gonna put that way—”

“Not like that,” He whines, pushing at Kagami’s chest in playful frustration, “It’s just like... _wow_ , you know? I know it hasn’t even been that long since we met, and maybe it should feel like we’re going too fast but...it feels like I’ve known you a lot longer. Like we’re going at just the right pace.”

“Yeah,” Kagami smiles, nodding in agreement, “It’s pretty amazing.” 

Kise lets out a soft, content sigh, plucking a piece of mochi from the bowl resting against Kagami’s thigh. He takes a bite, shivers a little from the chill, then offers the other half to Kagami, golden brown eyes locked on dark as his fingers slide against his lips. Kagami takes a bite and swallows, looking at Kise with a faux naiveté, wide-eyed as he feeds him the rest of the mochi. Kise narrows his eyes a little, thumb dragging along Kagami’s bottom lip.

“I wonder,” He muses aloud, watching as Kagami’s eyelids flutter, lips parting, “What kind of faces do you make? What kind of sounds do you make? Are they different from when you top?” Kagami tilts his head, a touch submissive, color rising into his cheeks. He kisses gingerly at Kise’s thumb.

“Wow,” Kise smiles, knuckles trailing up and down Kagami’s cheek, “You really like this, don’t you.”

Kagami laughs softly, leaning into Kise’s touch a little. “I guess. I’m not really into guys that are bigger than me—not that I really find myself attracted to guys that are a lot smaller than me, either, but—I’ve mostly ended up topping a lot by default. Asking to bottom isn’t always easy for me unless it’s serious, and I haven’t gotten to do it much, so...I get excited when I get the chance.”

“Gotcha,” Kise nods, a little breathless with exhilaration, “I’ll do my best to take care of you.”

“I know you will,” Kagami smiles, “But if you’re going to get distracted, would you mind putting the ice cream away first?”

Kise laughs, letting his forehead bump against Kagami’s in a gentle nuzzle. “Not at all.” 

He picks up the bowl, still chilly from the freezer, and eases off of Kagami, heading back into the kitchen. Shutting the freezer door, he turns back to the living room. Kagami’s watching him with dark and gentle eyes, his face half sunk into the plush fabric of the couch. Kise grins, his chest puffing out with an inhale, as he walks back to the couch. He swings a leg over Kagami’s lap, cording his fingers into his hair as he presses a kiss to his lips.

“I’m so in love with you,” He grins, taking Kagami’s cheeks in his hands and kissing him deeper, Kagami making a small noise into his mouth. His eyes flicker open, taking a peek at the arch in Kagami’s eyebrow, and kisses him again, teeth dragging over his bottom lip.

Kagami’s lips part, but Kise still kisses at the corner of his lips, trailing down to his jaw, and further down his neck. He stops just above his t-shirt collar, and starts to kiss a little harder, nipping at his skin with playful bites, fingers pulling down his collar. Kagami drops his head back, making the spot a little easier to reach, and his arms slip around Kise’s back, grasping loose fistfuls of his sweater.

Kise sucks and kisses at the spot, listening as Kagami’s breaths grow a little faster, stopping when his skin feels tender. He pulls back to look at Kagami, eyes glassy and cheeks flushed, and slips his hands under his t-shirt, pushing up the hem. He smiles at the contrast between his rich tank top tan and the paler color of his chest, Kagami letting the shirt fall back behind the couch as he lifts his arms above his head. Kise’s fingers dance up his abs, to his pecs, to his collarbone, dragging them down to rub at the brown circles of his nipples, Kagami’s breathing steady and deep as his eyelids flutter closed. Kise leans in and kisses him, slipping his tongue in when Kagami gasps with a careful, deliberate pinch. He licks into Kagami’s mouth, tongue sliding over his teeth, and Kagami tongues him back, palming at his chest. A few more strokes of his tongue and Kise pulls back, eyes shaded as they drop to his crotch. He dips his hand past the elastic of his sweatpants, easing his semi-hard cock out. His lips purse in a small pout, pausing as he looks at the half-drawn blinds.

“I wonder,” He murmurs quietly, drawing his fingers up Kagami in a small pump, “If we should stay out here.” Kagami raises his eyebrows with an intake of breath, letting it out with a small shudder.

“I wouldn’t mind,” He manages with another breath, and Kise’s eyes crinkle with a smile, tucking him back into his pants.

“Neither would I,” Kise tells him, kissing the tip of his nose, “But I don’t want the smell to get into the couch, and the sheets are always easier to clean.” 

“Of course,” Kagami concedes with a laugh, kissing Kise back. Kise eases up and off his lap, hands sliding down Kagami's arms to take his hands in his own, helping him up from the couch. Their fingers twine together loosely as Kise leads the way to the bedroom, darkened by the blinds, though light still creeps in around the edges. Kagami tugs at his sweatpants, letting them fall to his ankles, kicking them off as he lays back in bed. Kise waits a beat before climbing in after Kagami, taking his dick in his hand, watching how his chin tilts back, eyes closing as he inhales, reflexively dragging his toes up his calf. Kise’s fingers curl a little tighter around him, pumping him slowly, and he leans in, stealing a brief kiss before Kagami parts to take a breath.

His fingers trail down Kagami’s length with a light touch, to the heat of his balls, cupping them in his palm. His wrist gets squeezed between Kagami’s thighs for a moment, and then Kagami’s legs spread again, exhaling heavily. He grabs Kise’s free hand in his own and squeezes, eyelids drooping, lips parted, gaze glassy with want. Kise watches the rise and fall of his chest, then moves to cup Kagami’s cheeks in his hands, thumb sliding along his cheekbones.

“You should’ve told me sooner,” He chides gently and gives him a chaste kiss, smiling, “But I know I might not have made the most open-minded impression when the topic first came up. I’m sorry about that.” Kagami nods, swallowing as their eyes meet.

“Yeah,” He nods again, almost to affirm himself, “You’ve been easy to trust and talk to from the start, but I want to be totally honest with you, Kise. I want you. I want to try this with you.”

“I’m so happy you can trust me like this, Kagamicchi,” Kise grins, letting out a soft laugh, “I want to try this with you, too. I really do.” Kagami smiles back at him, and he leans in, Kagami making a small noise when Kise deepens the kiss.

“I love you,” Kise sighs, feeling Kagami’s dick throb into his hand as he touches him again. He gives him a gentle squeeze, then helps Kagami pulls his shirt off, discarding his own sweater at the foot of the bed. He passes a hand over his own tented crotch, guiding his cock to poke out through his briefs, then back to Kagami, smearing away the dot of pre at his tip. Kagami groans under Kise's touch, lifting his hips to press into his palm. Then, he pulls back, twisting away to search for the lube in the nightstand drawer, Kise tracing the curve of his ass with roaming fingers. He drops the bottle by his side, then slides an arm underneath the pillows, looking back at Kise over his shoulder.

“Well,” He offers Kise a small shrug, grinning, excited with anticipation, “Whenever you're ready.”

“No—no no no,” Kise tsks with a frown, guiding Kagami onto his back, “Let's do it like this.”

“Okay?” Kagami laughs, rubbing at a reddened cheek, “I was thinking it'd be a little easier for you if we did it the other way, but—”

“I told you, I want to see the kinds of faces you make,” Kise tells him, voice husky as he leans in for another kiss. Kagami makes a noise into his mouth, gripping him tight, breath spilling hot against Kise’s skin when he pulls back a fraction, “You’ll show me, won’t you?”

Kagami gulps a breath down, nodding. “I want to.” He spreads his legs, and Kise kneels between them, bottle of lube in his hands. He squirts a healthy amount into his palm, taking care to coat his fingers. Then, he inhales, raising his eyebrows as he meets Kagami's gaze. Kagami smiles, mouthing at him to continue on.

Kise traces his rim slowly, mesmerized by the subtle shifts in Kagami’s expression. How his eyelids blink closed at first touch, the white of his teeth visible between parted lips. How he tenses, then relaxes right after, breathing steadily. His skin feels almost feverishly warm compared to the cool lube, a touch musky even with the air conditioner blowing. 

He puckers under Kise's touch, and Kise pushes his first finger in, keeping him steady with his hip in his hand. Kagami’s calm is interrupted with a gasp of an inhale, fingers grasping at the sheets. But Kise inches in with care, letting Kagami adjust to the length of his finger. Kagami smiles up at him, little hitches in his breath as he tentatively moves his hips. Kise smiles back, stroking him slow.

“How's it feel?”

“Pretty sure I'm supposed to ask that first,” Kise grins, “But it feels good, Kagamicchi. How about you?”

“Feeling good,” Kagami laughs softly, “This speed’s fine for now. I'll let you know when I want another.” 

Kise rotates his wrist in a slow circle, then curls his finger, lazily alternating between the two motions. He presses into a differently textured spot with a fair amount of curiosity and caution, and Kagami’s eyebrows knit together with a whine, shifting his hips down against the bed. Kise pulls back, giving him a sheepish look.

“No, don't stop,” Kagami exhales, urgency in his voice, “Actually—you could go for another finger now, please.”

“With pleasure,” Kise murmurs, carefully inserting his second finger. He seeks out the spot again, getting a fuller noise from Kagami when he presses into it with a little more force. He massages slow circles into Kagami with the tips of his fingers, and Kagami rocks his hips onto his hand, heel digging into the small of his back. Kagami bites his lip, fingers loosely wrapping around his cock until Kise pushes them away with his free hand, giving him a squeeze that, coupled with the attention given to his prostrate, makes him moan outright. Kagami grabs at the elastic of Kise's briefs, tugging at them with a desperate look. Kise, wide-eyed, feels his heart start to pound.

He withdraws his fingers carefully, making his way to the side of the bed. He stands up, pulling his briefs down his thighs, letting them fall to the floor with a shake of his leg and stepping out of them, searching for a condom in his nightstand drawer. He plucks one out with ease and climbs back into bed, his own cock aching with a throb. But once he settles in, his mouth goes dry, fumbling a little as he tears the wrapper open.

“Okay,” Kise blinks, his chest going tight, “We’re really doing this.”

“Kise?” Kagami sits up after a beat, forehead wrinkling with concern, “You okay?”

“Just a little nervous, I guess,” Kise tells him, his breath picking up as he runs a hand through his hair, “I’ll be okay, I just—”

“You’re gonna be okay,” Kagami confirms with a small, encouraging smile, “Breathe with me, okay?” His hands settle atop of Kise’s, squeezing as he inhales and exhales slowly, waiting until Kise’s breathing slows to his tempo.

“I hate this,” Kise whines, frustrated, “I want to do this with you, I swear! I’m hard! I don’t why this is happening!”

“Kise, it’s okay,” Kagami reminds him, rubbing his back, “It’s your first time doing this—it’s more than okay for you to be nervous. And if you don’t feel nervous, that’s great! But if part of your body doesn’t want to do this, for whatever reason, we should listen to it. There’s always next time.”

“I don’t _want_ to wait till next time,” Kise sighs, rolling his eyes, “But I know better than to fight you on it.” Dejected, he pushes the condom into Kagami’s hands.

“Hey now,” He laughs softly, “Just because we’re not doing it how you imagined doesn’t mean we have to switch, or stop. If you’re up for it, there are other options.

“I guess so,” Kise agrees with another soft sigh, “What are you thinking of?”

“You can keep fingering me, or you could, y’know, fuck my thighs…”

“Oh.” Kise raises his eyebrows, sitting up a little straighter. “I wouldn’t mind trying that.”

“Works with me,” Kagami smiles, hands sliding around to Kise’s shoulders, “Do you still need a minute, or—?” Kise gives him a small nod, resting a hand atop his.

“I think so. I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”

“Okay.” Kagami pecks a kiss on his cheek, then turns back to the pillows, settling down on his stomach. Kise exhales, then gets up, heading to the bathroom.

He rinses his fingers in warm water, giving them a cursory dry on the towel. Frowning at his softened dick in the mirror, he takes himself in his hand as he walks back into the bedroom, stopping at the side of the bed. His eyes slide over the definition in Kagami’s back, down his spine, to the curve of his ass, the sparse hairs at the tops of his thighs. He gives himself a few short pumps, and then Kagami lifts his head, quiet, licking his lips as he watches. He reaches out for Kise after a moment, and Kise climbs in.

“Feeling better?” 

Kise nods, cupping his cheek as he kisses him, and Kagami sighs into his mouth, relieved. They exchange small, soft kisses, and then Kise pulls back, letting Kagami flip onto his stomach again. He presses a kiss at the top of his spine, fingers roaming over his muscles until he picks up the bottle of lube. Slickened fingers dip into the warmth of Kagami’s thighs, Kagami shivering when Kise drags his fingernail along his perineum. He runs his fingers over his cock, then slips his arms under Kagami’s chest, pressing close.

He rocks himself into the heat of Kagami’s thighs, palming at his chest. It’s warm, friction and heat notching up with each careful thrust, and he lets his eyes blink closed, cheek pressing against the steady weight of his shoulder. He moves rhythmic and slow, the only noises between them the sounds of their shallow breathing.

Kise’s eyes flutter open to Kagami clutching at the pillowcase, and he reaches for his hand, letting their fingers lock together. His thrusts go deep, making him squeeze his eyes shut as he slides against Kagami’s skin. He picks up speed, rasping smalls moan into Kagami’s ear, and after a few moments, he finally pulls back, come spilling over the small of his back. In the warm haze after his orgasm, his hand slides down Kagami’s chest, and he finishes him off, Kagami bucking his hips into his hand, filling it with sticky heat.

A few deep breaths later, Kagami eases himself off the bed with care, leaning in with a grin as he nuzzles Kise’s cheek. Kise laughs, capturing his lips in another kiss.

“That wasn’t so bad, huh?”

“Can’t say anything negative about it.” Kise grins, cupping his cheek in his clean hand, “Time for a shower?”

Kagami nods, helping him up from the bed. “I’d like that.”

***

There’s a chill in the March air that feels as if spring still needs a few weeks to settle in. But the cherry blossom trees around the park are still budding—one’s even burst into bloom, bright and pink despite the cooler temperature. Kise, taking a seat on a bench with two cups of coffee in hand, smiles at the sight of it. He sticks one of the cups between his knees, and takes his phone out in his free hand, starting to type out a text. But there’s another flash of pink at the corner of his eye, and Momoi walks up, easily prying the larger cup of coffee from his hand.

“Oh Ki-chan, you’re a godsend,” She sighs, sinking down beside him and taking an eager gulp, “Riko won’t even let me have coffee in the house anymore.”

“I don’t blame her. If I were pregnant, I’d be the exact same way.” Kise smiles emphatically at Momoi, taking his coffee from between his knees. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” Momoi gives him a tired smile, “Riko’s good, too. It’s mostly work that keeps piling stuff on top of me, since they know they won’t have either of us around soon. And it’s nice to know that they don’t want to stress Riko out, but I don’t want my stress to stress her out, so it’s been a little difficult. But we’re doing okay.”

“I know you’ll get through it.” Kise smiles, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing her shoulder, “Do you have any new pictures?”

“Of _course_ I do!” Momoi brightens, tucking a lock of faded pink behind her ear, “She hasn’t been up to taking too many lately, let alone post them to Facebook, but she did say I could show them to you when I said we were meeting up, so…” 

She unlocks her phone, and Kise leans in close, squinting through the glare on the screen from the bright spring day. She flips through the roll of recent pictures, of Riko in a t-shirt, smiling down and cradling her round stomach, and Kise can’t help but fawn over them, laughing at the collection of pictures and selfies of the two together.

“Oh, Sacchan, she looks so beautiful. I can’t believe she’s at eight months already.”

“That’s my Ricchan,” Momoi sighs fondly, smiling at her phone, “And that’s what I keep telling her! Maybe she’ll believe me if I tell her it comes from you.”

“But yeah, practically any day now. Every day I get a little more scared and excited--sometimes it’s just like, _aaah!_ ” She shakes her head, slipping her phone back into her jacket pocket.

“You’re both going to be incredible—I can’t wait to meet the baby. Though, as your very best friend, I still can’t believe you haven’t told me the name yet.” He pouts, and Momoi offers him a small shrug.

“You’ll find out when everyone else does, Ki-chan. Don’t worry.”

“I guess that’s acceptable. Do you still need help with the nursery, or anything like that? I can send Kagamicchi over if you need anything put together.”

“I think we’re good, but he _was_ very helpful when you brought him to help out with some of the furniture a few weeks ago. And those nikuman he made—I’ll definitely text you if Ricchan has any weird cravings he could help with. But, y’know what, Ki-chan? I think you and Kagami-kun would make _wonderful_ parents.”

“Satsuki!” Kise looks at her, incredulous, “Kagamicchi, maybe, but certainly not me.”

“Well, why not? You’ve been excited enough for my baby.”

“Yeah, but I don’t have to care of your baby,” He shrugs, “Maybe someday, but not anytime soon.”

“If you’re so sure,” Momoi rolls her eyes fondly, “But you and Kagami-kun have been together for almost a year now, right? Thinking he’ll propose soon?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous.”

“Oh, please. You’re the one who told me you thought he was falling for you barely a month in! Even if it doesn’t mean anything legally, it’s not like you’d say no.”

“I mean,” Kise huffs out a breath, taking a frustrated drink of coffee, “Of course I’d say yes, but that’s besides the point.”

“See!”

“He hasn’t dropped any hints yet, and he’s pretty bad at being subtle,” Kise continues, a little smug, “But maybe you know something I don’t know.”

Momoi combs through her hair, humming innocently, “I can’t confirm or deny anything.”

“Well,” Kise purses his lips, thinking, “I’d bet on a promise ring by next year, at the very least.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SHIT FAM...WE MADE IT 
> 
> it's been a long, long year and a half journey, but we did it. thank you so much for following this fic, whether it was from the beginning, or you read it all in one night--i hope my writing changes have been digestible. i have a few more ideas that didn't really fit into the larger story of the fic, and im not sure if ill writing them later, but you can certainly find me [tweeting](https://twitter.com/valsface) about kagakise, since this fic has really made me fall in love with them and this AU. im gonna miss them, but im glad i got to see this to completion. thanks again for your support. <3
> 
> (who would i be if i didn't write momoi in, honestly? also, they totally [get married](https://twitter.com/cerisenn/status/794710269301641216))


End file.
